


Two Little Birds

by fluffykitty12



Series: The Second Bird Series [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne Father, Fatherly Batman, Gen, daddy bats, daddy!Bats, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:19:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 94
Words: 122,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffykitty12/pseuds/fluffykitty12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Richard wasn't an only child when his parents died? What if he had a younger sister as well? Scarlet Grayson is younger than her brother, but adventurous, funny, and suddenly finds herself living with the billionaire Bruce Wayne. Prequel to The Second Bird- takes place in YJ verse BEFORE the team is formed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Night Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> First- I'd like to thank you all for just being so amazingly patient with me. Summer is so incredibly crazy, I'm still getting used to the schedule, and I've somehow become nocturnal.
> 
> For those of you who are just coming across this fic- I accidentally deleted a few chapters, only the first ten or so of the begining. Which is a blessing in disguise, since they needed a re-vamp, anyways. So the first twelve chapters or so will come out slow, and then, BAM! I'll have uploaded all the chapters that were never deleted (all 80 or so) and it will be back again! And I can continue from that point on. Please review, and hugs!

He saw the two figures dart out of the trailer, watched them run. The eldest- the boy- clutched the younger's hand as they were running through the blackness that was the Gotham night.

He'd come back as soon as the circus grounds settled down- he'd seen their parents fall. He didn't know why he was here, other than the fact that his intuition had told him that he should be- and it was rarely wrong.

He'd been gathering facts when fate had led him to the trailers wheret he children, the victims left behind by their dead parents, lived.

He felt his heart start beating a little faster now as they both stumbled across the ground, heading towards Gotham….

He made his choice. He stepped in front of them.

They both ran headlong into his Kevlar armor and ended up on the ground. The younger of the two- the girl- had a bloody nose, and he felt a pang. He should've tried to stop them some other way….

The moon came out from behind a cloud, and he could see her wide blue eyes stare at him with the fascination of a child….

"Scarlet." The eldest boy rasped. He'd clearly had the breath knocked out of him. "Run."

The girl made no move to obey him, instead continuing to stare at him. The girl couldn't have been more than four, and she no doubt found the man dressed as a bat enthralling….

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly.

"Of course you aren't." the boy- Dick- his name was Dick, he'd looked them up- snarled, voice dripping sarcasm. "Scarlet- I said to run!"

When her brother raised his voice at her she started to cry, suddenly afraid. They were both pale, both had eyes red from crying. They'd just watched their parents murder a few hours earlier, seen them fall- it was clear their nerves were shot. There spirits broken.

She was clinging to his leg, then, and for once, he didn't know what to do. He awkwardly patted her head for a moment, and she looked up at him with those soulful blue eyes, full of sadness and mourning. It nearly broke him.

She stopped crying, finally, sniveling pitifully.

"Who are you?" Dick asked, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. Suddenly he wasn't hostile, and it was clear that he was a nervous kid who'd snapped at his sister from fear.

"Batman."

"One of his gang?" Dick asked, suddenly nervous again.

"Who's gang?" Bruce Wayne had heard Dick telling Gordon about the man trying to extort money from Mr. Haly. But he wanted to hear it himself.

"Zucco." The boy said, watching him for a reaction. At his name, the girl- Dick had called her Scarlet- started to cry again, and Dick pulled her away from him.

"He tried to extort money from Mr. Haly, right?"

Dick nodded, looking surprised.

"Good. I'm going to track him down. I suspected it was murder when all four wires snapped. What's your plan?"

Dick looked at him, still uncertain. But he'd said he was going to take down Zucco, which meant he had to be a good guy….

"Run away to Gotham city. We can't stay here. A lady came, she's going to split us up in the morning." He looked down at Scarlet. "I'd rather die than get separated from her."

"Why not live for her?" Batman growled. "Listen- I have a friend. Bruce Wayne. If you stay here and go with social services, he'll adopt you both, and I promise you'll stay together. You've never been on the Gotham streets, kid- they'll kill you like it was nothing and then do worse to your sister."

Dick's eyes widened at the mention of Scarlet, looking down nervously at him. She was still staring at Batman, slightly tearful. Like she was too sad to speak.

"How can I trust you?" Dick asked, still looking hesitant. "What if you know that lady…."

"It's either you trust me and stay together and alive, or go out on those streets to get killed and leave your sister at the mercy of the gangs. Your choice. I'm a hero, kid- I don't lie. What's your choice?" he was trying to stay gruff with the boy, hold him at arms length- but really he felt his heart would burst. Emotions were running high, he could see so much of that scared boy that he'd been all these years ago….

The girl looked at her brother imploringly. "He's wearing a costume, Dickie- he's like us." She said, voice barely above a whisper.

Dick nodded. "Alright. I trust you. Thank you." And with that he turned, and they darted back into the trailer, leaving him to stare after them for a moment and pray the boy was telling the truth, hoping they didn't fall on the streets of Gotham like so many others.

He'd done all he could do, though, and there was still evidence to gather. He turned away and let the night swallow him up.


	2. Good Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick's reassured that Batman is a good guy.

He called Gordon the next day, expressing his intent, as Bruce Wayne, of course, to adopt them.

Gordon understood why- he'd seen that same look of mourning in his eyes all those years ago as he saw in theirs now. He agreed he'd start getting the paperwork ready.

He spent the rest of the day in the Bat cave, assembling evidence, cross-examining details, and trying to figure out where the gang lord was hiding.

Alfred brought down the papers to sign, and only when he stopped to sign them did he realize he was really taking in two children. He'd been drowning in his work now, trying to get their parents' murderer off the streets, but he knew what he was doing.

He wasn't sure if he would be a good father, or if he would even come close to it. Batman might get in the way of some things, and he wasn't sure about how to raise a daughter, let alone a five-year old, but right now, all he saw were two separated, grieving children.

He wanted to help them through what was, undoubtedly, the worst time in their life. He'd been through it before, and he knew how much it meant to have a stable environment he could depend on.

Alfred had done it for him- waking up every morning at eight, getting dressed, a breakfast of pancakes, before he'd be allowed to think and read and write for awhile. He did online tutoring, of course, and at lunch at noon he'd have long talks with the man he'd come to know as his grandfather.

It'd felt safe, for once- even throughout the torrents of grief, he'd had Alfred and his routine to cling to. And it'd helped him get through the grief more than the old man would ever know.

He just hoped he could be as helpful to them as Alfred had been to him.

He'd been working tirelessly on hunting down Zucco when he got the call a week later. Dick could be picked up, the paperwork had gone through. The one thing eh didn't expect was the address he'd been given. 2221 Penn street- the address for the juvenile detention center.

He didn't think he'd ever seen a more dejected child than Dick as the boy limped out to the car, setting his suitcase in the back and sliding into the passenger seat.

The boy was sporting a black eye that looked painful, he looked pale, and he could see a yellowing bruise on the back of his hand. But what really worried him was the look in the boy's eyes. They looked… hollow. Numb, almost. Like he'd given up.

It was chilling to Bruce how similar the boy's eyes looked to those of a corpse- he'd seen many corpses before, from his own parents to bodies of the cruel victims that Gotham claimed. Not this boy, he vowed to himself. He wouldn't allow him to give up.

Dick looked over at him, studying him for a moment as they pulled out before he spoke.

"Are you Bruce?" he asked quietly.

Bruce nodded. "I'm Bruce, son. The papers have to go through, but soon Scarlet will be at the manor, too."

Dick gave him an exhausted smile, before leaning his cheek against the cool glass of the window. "He was right." He muttered. "He was a good guy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review!


	3. A Child's Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Scarlet are finally reunited.

Bruce watched the boy. Wether he knew he was observing him or not, he didn't know. Bruce was devoting nearly every waking moment to nailing Zucco- but he wasn't so blind as to see that Dick would need attention, as well.

He told the boy that whatever things he needed to help him get through to distract him from the greif that was raging through him- he could get. Toys, books, video games, whatever he needed for a distraction from the pure horror of it, he couod have.

Because Bruce remembered his lego set. When his parents had been killed, he'd spent hours with it, simply building lego houses for the little lego people and having them talk and play with one another.

He'd been nine at the time- too old to play pretend. But for the first week after his parents had been killed, he'd allowed himself to slip into that world of make-believe. Every morning he awoke and would do his daily routine, eat breakfast, get dressed, comb his hair, and for a few minutes every day, he'd think... Simply think, about his parents.

And when the grief got to be too much, he'd pull out the legos and delve into a world where no one's parents died and no one had to be afraid of being alone. That had been his first week of grief.

After the first week, though, he'd be able to think about his parents for an hour or so without having to turn to his legos. And with the extended time to think about them, he tried to reason put why they were killed, why no one had saved them... And that was when he'd decided to be a hero.

Still, it was worrisome to see a boy so... listless. That first week, Dick never smiled. More often than not, Bruce found him simply wandering the halls. He realized it around the second day- the boy needed his sister.

So he redoubled his efforts for the papers to go through, and was ordered to go to Gotham's home for girls to pick her up.

She looked tired- that was the first thing he noticed about her. She should've been, of course, after what she'd been through. She climbed into the back seat of the car, looking up at him nervously.

"Are you Bruce?" she asked quietly, clutching her backpack, which was filled with all her things, close to her.

Bruce nodded. "I am. Dick is at home, waiting for you."

She smiled, her dull eyes brightening slightly. As they drove up the long drive of the Manor, she didn't smile. She seemed incredibly, totally oblivious to the well-keot grounds and flowers. She was clearly in her own little world.

Bruce had picked Scarlet up withiutnDick present for a reason- he wanted the, to have privacy when they were reunited, time to hug and say what they'd needed to say with the press butting in.

Now, though, he wondered if it was the right decision, It seemed like every second they were apart the two grew more nymb, more distant...

He pulled the car to a stop. Dick stood outside anxiously with Alfred, waiting...

"Dickie!"

"Scarlet!"

She threw herself at him, then, and they hugged, Dick tucked her head under his chin, and more a moment they both just clung to one another, eyes prickling with unshed tears...

But the five-year old couldn't stay still for long, and soon she squrimed out of his arms to look around. Suddenly she was noticing the huge manor, as well as the soectacular view of everything...

"Wow... we live here?" she asked, looking at Dick, eyes wide.

And for the first time in a week, Bruce saw the boy crack a small smile. "Yeah. We do."

"Cool..." and then she was dragging her brother by the hand towards a large maple, nibly swinging into the branches, laughing.

Alfred smiled, and Bruce did, as well, seeing them. It'd been an eternity, it seemed, since he'd heard children's laughter. And suddenly, the manor didn't seem so empty anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! Too OOC, or no?


	4. Whatever they need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff with a lto of Scarlet/Bruce interraction.

"Your room is right next to Dick's..." Bruce opened the door, waiting for her reaction. He'd had to do a lot of googling, but he'd finally ordered everything he thought she'd like.

The room was painted bright pink, with a four-poster bed that had a pink canopy. There was a little makeup desk, with a mirror and drawers filled with little trinkets and makeup.

He had a play kitchen in one corner, as well, and a toybox filled to overflowing with stuffed animals and baby-alive dolls.

Scarlet stared, eyes widened. "I... wow. Thank you, Mr. Wayne." she managed to get out quietly. She really didn't like pink, and the room was... well, almost entirely pink. But her mother had taught her to always say thank you regardless of the gift...

Bruce beamed, reaching down to ruffle her hair. "I'm glad you like it, Scarlet. I'll leave you to get settled. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

She nodded, still looking, around, eyes wide. How could things even GET this pink? Luckily, Bruce mistook her expression of shock for one of wonderment and smiled soightly, leaving her alone, proud of himself. Maybe raising a little girl wouldn't be that hard at all.

Scarlet stared, blinking. The pink pratically burned through her eyelids, but focusing on it wouldn't make it go away. She sighed. She'd live with it, she figured. Mr. Wayne had tried really hard to make the room something she wouod like, and she appreciated that.

She sighed, walking over to the bed and clawing her way up onto the pink comforter, struggling with the weight of her back pack. She still made it up, quietly taking off her backpack and opening it, looking around inside.

She had a few outfits- Dick had told her to pack the things that meant the most to her, so she'd only packed the trinkets they'd oicked up from around the world. Dick had noticed she'd failed to pack any clothing and had grabbed a few clothes last minute to stuff in.

There were pictures- John Grayson had loved pictures. He'd gotten an old poloroid, and she'd gotten all the photos she could. Pictures of her and Dick in Russia. She didn't remember much if it- she'd only been three or four at the time. It was a picture of them in the snow, smiling next to the snowman...

Her eyes stung skightly, knowing her father woukd never use that poloroid again, and that her mother would never again laugh at the funny faces he insisted they make...

"Scarlet?" she looked up from the picture to see Dick in the doorway, walking in to see her. He looked slightly anxious. "Did you thank Mr. Wayne for the room?"

" 'Course I did, Dickie." she saidm looking confused. She lowered her voice quietly. "But it's REALLY pink." she whispered.

"I know. But he's done a lot for us, Scarlet..."

"I know, Dickie. Is he nice?" Bruceseemed nice, But Dick had been living here longer than her.

Dick nodded. "He's nice. He isn't around much, though. But when he is, he's nice."

Scarlet looked around the room again, looking uncertain. "It's so... big."

Dick grinned. "Wait until you see the dining room. And the halls... This place is great. And there's a man who worlds here- Alfred- he's nice, too."

"Really?" Scarlet asked, eyes bright with excitement. The orphanage had been awful- the lady was always yelling and the okder girls were always pulling hair and stealing things.

Just then, a bell rang.

Dick grinned. "Dinner bell! C'mon, you won't believe how big this place is!"

He grabbed her by the arm, running down the hall towards the spiral staircase. He didn't slow his pace, and Scarlet was nearly yanked off her feet several times, but she didn't mind. At the speed they were going, her feet barely touched the ground- ir was almost like flying.

Both children flew into the dining room, bright-eyed and bushy tailed...

"Wow." Scarlet just stared. It was like a fairy tail- a long table covered in a white cloth with candles and beautiful oak chairs...

Alfred smiled at the amazement on Scarlet's face.

"Hello, Master Dick, Mistress Scarlet. Welcome to dinner." he said.

Scarlet studied him, looking confused. "What's a mistress?" she asked, not understanding why he'd called her that.

Dick shrugged. "He's a fancy guy, Scarlet."

Scarlet still looked confused. "How come you're a Master and I'm a Mistress?". It was clear the five year old wasn't understanding. Suddenly she looked up at Alfred. "Can I be a Master, too?"

Alfred looked surprised. "I- of course, Master Scarlet. May I ask why, though?"

Scarlet shrugged. "Because Dick is one." she said, still feeling the need to copy her brother as she sat down to dinner.

They ate dinner quietly, and Bruce didn't join them.

Dick led her into the living room, turning the TV on. They sat and watched until it was time for bed, before it grew late.

Scarlet yawned, noticing the heavy oak door to a room shut. She quietly slipped off the couch, padding across the carpet and quietly reaching for the knob. The heavy door swung open, revealing Bruce sitting at a large, dark-wood desk.

He looked up, surprised, before noticing Scarlet standing in the doorway in bunny footsie pajamas. He smiled at the cute sight, standing.

"What can I do for you, Scarlet?"

She blinked sleepily at him- it was clear she was ready for bed. "A-are you gonna tuck us in?" she asked quietly.

Dick had noticed what she was doing, then, and quietly came over, taking Scarlet's hand. "Bruce is busy, Scarlet- I'll tuck you in." he said simply.

"No, it's alright, Dick. I don't mind." Bruce said calmly. Dick looked hesitant but nodded, leading Scarlet upstairs. Bruce had never tucked him in since he'd been here, and he wasn't sure what to expect.

Bruce straightened some papers on his desk- he'd been going through the paper trail left by Tony Zucco. But that could wait.

He headed upstairs, digging back in his mind. He remembered his mother tucking him in, all those years ago...

He peered into Scarlet's room, seeing the five year old sitting cross-legged onto her bed, head drooping forward, struggling to keep her eyes open. It was incredibly adorable.

"Ready for bed?" He asked quietly, walking in.

Scarlet nodded, fumbling to crawl under the covers. Bruce helped her, pulling the covers up to her neck and tucking them in just below her chin. A lock of raven hair fell into her face, and he quietly brushed it away.

Her eyes were already closed, her face looking so innocent...

"Goodnight, Scarlet."

" 'Night, Tati..." she mumbled, almost inaudibly.

Bruce just stared. She'd called him her father... He felt like a theif, then. He wasn't her father, he would never be John Grayson. And he knew that. But at the same time, it struck a chord within him. She was HIS now, he had to look out for her and take care of her, do his best to raise her as well as Dick.

Scarlet didn't know what she was saying, of course, she was pratically asleep... He wasn't her father. But he'd do his best to be whatever it was that these children needed.


	5. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little brother/sister bonding as Scarlet and Dick struggle to get used to their new home.

_His mother flashed a dazzling smile, lifting a hand to wave to the crowdwhile her other gripped the trapeze bar, before her feet left the platform and she was flying through the air._

_His father was swinging as well, smiling, and he hung by his legs from the bar, hands waiting to catch his mother..._

_He was mentally screaming. He stood on the platform, he knew what was going to happen... But he couldn't move. Couldn't speak. He could see Scarlet beside him, watching the performance eagerly, eyes sparkling. His lips were moving, he could feel it, but no sound came..._

_And the wires snapped. He watched his mother's face go from alight with the thrill of flying to terror as she felt the ropes give way, the thin line between flying and falling crossed. She reached out to him as she fell, but he couldn't grab her, couldn't move..._

_And they fell. There was the sickening crack as they hit the ground below, and he could hear Scarlet screaming in Romani. She'd fallen to her knees, clinging to the platform, staring at the ground below. As the pools of blood grew beneath their parents she screamed, cried for them to wake up, begged for them to be alright..._

_And he was walking towards the edge of the platform. No. No! What was he doing!? End it. He was ending this nightmare now. No! He couldn't couldn't leave Scarlet like this, on the platform..._

_But he had no choice. He spread his arms and fell forwards. He could hear the already shocked crowd begin to scream and exclaim- he twisted in midair to look up, seeing Scarlet reaching out towards him, shock and terror etched into her face. The wind rushed around him, it felt... good, falling._

_And he hit the ground. Blood spattered around him- he felt burning pain, immense agony as bones were forced through skin- he could even taste the blood. He coughed, and it passed through his lips. Scarlet was just a tiny speck up on the platform, now._

_No! NO! What had he done!? He couldn't leave her behind, not like this, alone... A rattling came from deep within his throat. He coughed, seeking blood spatter the ground to his right. He didn't want to, but he didn't have a choice. And it felt oddly satisfying when he closed his eyes and let death welcome him into it's cold embrace..._

He started awake, covered in sweat. It wasn't real, he was alive, Scarlet was alive, he hadn't left her...

He buried his face in his hands, struggling to catch his breath. This'd been happening almost every time he went to sleep. Though suicide had never crept into the nightmares before. He felt sick, really sick.

Was death really such a sweet relief? He felt guilty even thinking about it. He was scared and alone, however, and it was dark...

He saw a shadow pass by his door, dragging something behind it.

"Scarlet?"' he asked quietly.

"Dickie?" he watched Scarlet dart into the room, blanket in hand, before she scrambled into bed with him.

"I had a nightmare." she said quietly.

In truth, she hated sleeping in the large four-poster bed alone. In the trailer, she, Dick, and their parents had all curled up in one queen-sized bed together, and she missed the security being curled up with her family gave.

"Yeah- I did too." Dick said quietly. He lifted up the covers, allowing her to worm her way under and curl up beside him.

"Will you chase the nightmares away?" she asked quietly, staring up at him thriugh the darkness with those trusting blue eyes. He was her big brother- in her eyes, he had the power to do that.

Dick nodded. "I will." he assured her. With that said, he settled down beside her, slinging an arm across her protectively. Slowly, they drifted off to sleep, content to know they were together and safe.

* * *

 

Bruce got up early- he'd been burning the candle at both ends, lately. Last night he'd managed to nail Zucco, so he should've slept well. But for some reason, he woke up at seven am the next morning, feeling uneasy.

He remembered why. He was the father of two kids, now. He stood- his concern was completely unfounded, he chastised himself- they were fine. Still, though, a quick look wouldn't hurt...

He peered into Scarlet's room, shocked to find the bed empty. His heart jumped to his throat. He hadn't even had the girl for one day. The Manor was huge, she could've fallen down the stairs or gotten lost, she could be alone and scared...

Dick. Dick would know where the girl was, he'd shown her around the manor. He": know where she was, he had to...

He swung open the door to his room, coming face to face with a sight so cute it stopped him in his tracks.

There, nestled beside one another in the blankets were both of them- Scarlet was curled into a little ball, chin to her chest. Dick was curled around her, her head tucked under his chin. He had an arm slung over her protectively, as well, and it was so cute...

He didn't take pictures. And he most certainly didn't think about showing them to Alfred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment constructive criticism! :)


	6. Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick discovers just what's underneath Wayne Manor.

Dick sighed, heading down the massive hallway that ran the length of Wayne Manor, socked feet padding silently on the plush carpet. Another night filled with nightmares- it wasn't worth sleeping through, but he had a better pastime, anyways.

He'd been watching the news- ever since he'd learned the mysterious Batman had captured Zucco, the very same man who'd managed to get him and Scarlet living under one roof again, he'd been hooked.

On these sleepless nights, then, he'd scour the news for any information about his bat-clad friend.

Tonight was no different, he figured, as he settled down in the recliner with his batman themed comforter. Bruce had greatly approved, and even encouraged his Batman idolism in some ways, much to Alfred's amusement, but now wasn't the time too dwell on that.

There was no interesting news, though, none about Batman- and so he was left to stare dryly at the television, disappointed. The volume was low, so as not to alert anyone of his presence, and it'd worked well, since Alfred didn't notice him when the clock suddenly lifted off the floor, revealing the secret passageway from which the butler emerged, before he proceeded to the kitchen.

The clock slid back into place, then, and Dick stared, blinking, wondering if he was dreaming.

Slowly, he stood, intrigued. What was behind the clock? What dark secret could good old Alfred possibly have that was enough for him to make a secret passageway?

He ran his hands up and down the smooth wood sides of the old grandfather clock, finding no special switch or anything, until his hand struck a small piece of metal. No larger than a match, it was sticking out slightly from between the wall and the back of the he hadn't been looking fir it, he never would've noticed it.

He did what any curious boy would do, then- he flipped it.

The effect was instant. The clock slid upwards, revealing the secret passageway, and he stumbled back, surprised, before slowly entering the dark passageway. The clock slid back down behind him.

It was dark- incredibly dark. Dick wondered how Alfred managed to find his way through here without breaking a hip. He could barely make out the fact that he was on a stone staircase, and felt his way along the stone wall as he slowly made his way down the craggy steps, into who knew what...

He counted forth-three steps before he finally reached the base of the stairs and smiled- he was in a somewhat dark room, what looked to be a cave...

Then the screeching started. Not just one, but two, and then a unified voice of screaming. Suddenly the bats loosed themselves from where they'd been hanging from the top of the cave and fluttered off, and he threw up his hands to protect himself as they flew past him, feeling the air from their wings as they brushed against him, on their way out of the cave and into the night, no doubt...

And then, as soon as they'd come, they were gone, leaving the cave and flowing out into the night. He was left staring after them, awestruck. He'd never seen animals that amazing, been so close to something something so majestic and eerie as a bat...

"They do that sometimes."

Dick whirled at the voice, shocked, and found himself face-to-face with Batman.

Bruce couldn't help but grin from behind the cowl when he saw the boy's face. His expression was one of total shock, he looked like his jaw might hit the floor if it went any further.

"B-Batman?"

"It's Bruce, Dick." he said calmly, pulling down the cowl to reveal his face. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the boy's face then- he looked like his eyes would pop out of his head.

He smiled, crossing his arms, waiting for his son to regain the ability to speak.

"Y-you're Batman?" he managed to get out.

Bruce nodded, still smiling. He'd known it was inevitable his children would discover his nighttime activities, but he'd never made a plan for it- he was playing it by ear, now, truthfully, but he didn't mind.

"You- Zucco?" Dick managed get out, eyes suddenly filled with emotion.

Bruce nodded. "Yeah. I got Zucco."

"And... that night, at the circus, when Scarlet and I were planning on running..."

Bruce nodded. "Yes. That was me, as well."

Dick swallowed, voice thick with emotion then. "Thank you."

Bruce was surprised for a moment, shocked at the depth of his gratitude- but he knew he felt it to, all those years ago, when the man who'd shot his parents was caught by the Gotham PD... "No problem, Dick."

The boy's next question caught him completely off guard, however.

"Can I be your sidekick?"

He stared for a moment, shocked, before the answer came. "No. It's far too dangerous- you'd get hurt or killed..." he trailed off when he saw something akin to anger beginning to blaze in the boy's eyes. He realized it wasn't fury, however- it was conviction.

"That's why you did it, isn't it? It's why you took Scarlet and I in- why you became Batman. So you could make sure no one was ever orphaned again, right?"

He didn't dare say anything- his throat was growing tighter. He didn't want to hear this, but every word the boy said was searing with truth.

"I've watched the news, Bruce. Gotham- you're helping, but people are still dying in the streets. You could train me- I swear, I would do anything to be out there with you, to make sure nobody else has to see their parents die..."

Bruce couldn't take looking at the raw emotion on the boy's face anymore and turned away so he was facing the wall. He let out e breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

He'd seen Dick in the yard with Scarlet- running around and flipping off things- the boy's acrobatic skills were unmatched. But he'd need a lot more training if he expected to make it in Gotham...

He sighed. "Are you willing to obey every order I give you without question? If I order you to abandon me, would you do it?"

Dick nodded. "If there was no other way..."

"I won't just be Bruce anymore, Dick. I'll be Batman. I will push you to your limits and then some- failure during battle in Gotham means death. I won't be nice about it- when it comes tot raining, it's all or nothing. You'll be sore, tired, you won't have much time to play..."

"Playing hasn't been the same since they fell. I'd much rather do something useful." Dick said seriously.

Bruce continued. "I decide when you're ready to take to the streets. If you make it that far. You will respect my judgement without question, and when I say you're benched, you're benched. This isn't an easy path to walk, Dick- I won't be upset or ashamed if you can't do it."

Dick was looking at him with an expression of absolute seriousness on his face, one he rarely saw. An expression of absolute and total focus- it meant this wasn't some passing phase. he wouldn't wake up one morning and decide he didn't want to be hero.

"When do I start?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment your thoughts! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tried not to make this too choppy- it's a lot of Scarlet angst, and really, everyone angst throughout, and things get... rough. Before you question why Scarlet does what she does in this chapter, remember, she's six and young children often don't have the best judgement, and that sometimes, when people desperate want something to be true, they force the pieces to fit together so they can believe it.

Scarlet ran down the hallway, trying to ignore the tears streaming down her face. She would not cry. She WOULDN'T! She'd promised herself she'd never cry again, after the loud woman in charge of them at he orphanage had slapped her for trying to cry herself to sleep.

But the tears fell of their own accord. It was night, she was alone, and no one even cared. She ran into her room, not even caring the heavy oak door slammed shut behind her. Instead she flopped onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow and crying.

She looked at the picture she kept on the nightstand- her and her parents, decked out in costume, along with Dick. All with brilliant smiles, unaware of the heartbreak that would befall them...

She hugged the picture to her chest and sobbed. "Y-you would've remembered..." she choked out between tears, speaking to her parents. "W-wouldn't you?" her voice was barely a whisper, and she realized she was unsure. Would they have? Everything had changed so fast, her parents had been dead for three months now. The details, the little things she remembered about them, were fading, and it scared her into crying even more.

She was six years old today. Happy birthday, she guessed. She was alone- it'd been a progressive downward spiral to be honest, that'd all come to a head today.

It'd started out with Bruce and Dick becoming fast friends- they'd started spending a lot more time together these past few months, meaning Dick spent less and less time with her. Somedays, Dick even went to work with Bruce, and sometimes Bruce brought him in at all hours of the night to help him solve problems at work.

She tried to amuse herself mostly, and she did her best to talk with Alfred. The old butler was incredibly kind, of course, but he had a job to do and things to clean, and sometimes he, too, would disappear as well.

It'd gotten particularly bad this past month, however, with Bruce and Dick always busy. Bruce never tucked her in anymore, and she hardly saw Dick. Even when she did, he was busy praticing his acrobatics, and she'd continued working on them as well in the yard to try and get closer to him.

But tonight- tonight she realized. Dick didn't care anymore. They were all happy, Bruce and Dick happy spending time together at Bruce's work, Alfred happy and probably more efficient without her always looking for a playmate.

Dick had found his place here- and that ws wonderful. But she didn't belong. She'd find somewhere where she was wanted, where she could be...

All the clothes Mr. Wayne had bought her were nice, but nothing could make up for what she was so severely lacking- family. She wouldn't be needing fancy clothes back at the circus, anyways, and she donned her old costume- a bright yellow spandex shirt that allowed free range of motion, and black leggings. Her father had given her a black velvet cape for flare, and well, and she donned it as well. She put on her old mask as a final touch, giving herself a sad smile as she looked in the mirror- she was going home.

She seized the old picture, the one of her and Dick- from the bedside. Nothing else mattered enough to be taken with her, and she slid the picture out of the frame, sliding it into her back pocket. That was all she needed.

But she couldn't leave without saying goodbye. So she seized a sheet of paper, concentrating hard to see the blurry paper through her tears. She finished the note and signed it, before slipping quietly out the back door and into the dusk.

* * *

 

"It was amazing! I even got to put the cuffs on him!" Dick said, grinning. Alfred had listened to his excited rendition of him taking down a thug, and he smiled, slightly proud. The boy had come so far from that scared child, covered in yellowing bruises, that Bruce had picked up from the Juvenile Detention center.

Dick's smile dulled, suddenly, as if he was realizing something. He turned to Bruce, slightly anxious. "Where's Scarlet?"

"I'm sure she's upstairs, Dick, like always. What's wrong?" Bruce could tell by his son's tone that something was wrong, as he was almost feverishly pulling off his cape and shirt, looking around desperately for his T-shirt.

Dick looked over at Bruce, eyes concerned. "Today was her birthday."

Bruce instantly felt a pang. What kind of a father was he? He hadn't really been seeing much of Scarlet lately, he'd been so busy with Dick...

He turned to Alfred. "Have you seen her today, Alfred?"

Alfred shook his head, suddenly remorseful. "Not since six this evening, I'm afraid, when Master Dick requested my presence in the bat cave..."

Bruce was already pulling off his cowl, planning around his guilt. They could run out and get a cake, wake Scarlet up and surprise her... But he swore to himself he'd pay more attention from now on, be a better father...

He already hurried upstairs, though, opening the door to her room. It was dark, but it was around midnight, so that was to be expected...

"Sweetheart?" he asked quietly, his heart jumping to his throat when their was no response. He took a step forward, hearing glass crunch and staring down at the empty picture frame, now filled with a spiderweb of cracks, that he'd stepped on...

The bed was empty. No, no, that couldn't be happening... There was a small piece of paper on the bed, in a child's handwriting. He snatched it up, grabbing it with suddenly worried hands and turning on the light...

_Dear Dickie,_

_I don't think I belong here. Mr. Wayne really likes you, and Im happy abot that. But I need somewhere where people like me and I belong. Meybe I will visit you sometime._

_Love Scarlet_

It was on the paper, spelling mistakes and all. Staring him right in the face.

He stared, taking a shaky breath. What had he done, to make a child feel so alienated and unloved? Nothing. That was exactly what he'd done. He'd completely ignored her, cast her aside to train Dick. And now she was gone.

* * *

 

She wandered down the November-cold streets, pulling her arms tighter around her. She was starting to second-guess herself, now- it was scary out here, and dark, and when you were only six things were a lot scarier. But she didn't know the way back to Mr. Wayne's, so even if she'd wanted to go back, she couldn't.

Her teeth chattered and she felt cold, then, and more hopeless than ever. She just had to get back to the circus, though...

There was a laugh to her left, and she jumped, terrified, ending up knocking over a few trashcans as she fell. She squeaked, a thousand awful situations running through her mind from where she laid. Monsters, goblins, and trolls came to mind...

She heard footsteps and tried not to whimper. She couldn't really see anything in the darkness, and she didn't want to, since she wasn't sure what she'd see.

Suddenly a powder-white face leaned down to hers, close enough she could see it in the darkness.

She flinched, afraid...

"Hey, kiddo. No need to be sad- I'm a clown! I like to make people happy!" he said, and slowly, she opened her eyes again to peer at him. "Really?"

"Of course! Now, I see you've been trashed..." he punned, quietly rightening the trashcan that's fallen onto her. "But let's see a smile!" his red lips grinned, and she smiled, as well, taking his outstretched hand as they began to walk.

Normally she was street smart- she'd been raised around the world, knew to be wary of strangers- but the man was a clown! She'd grown up with clowns, and they were all good people. And so it lulled her into a false sense of security as she walked along with him.

But if she'd looked back at the alley the clown had emerged from, she'd have seen the frighteningly still form of a man with blood pooling around him...

"Do you know Mr. Haley, from the circus?" she asked brightly. Suddenly she didn't feel so alone anymore, and she'd found a clown! She was only six, and her naïeveness was leading her down a dangerous road.

The cheery clown shook his head, green hair flopping slightly. "I can't say I do. But what do you say we go to the circus?"

Her eyes instantly brightened. "Really?" this was amazing. This man could take her home...

"Of course, my dear- you're dressed too nicely not to go somewhere." he said, motioning to the costume.

She grinned, and he motioned her towards a large glass building. The automatic doors slid open with a swoosh, even though the building was dark. He led her to the elevator, calling it and pressing the button. The doors slid closed, and with them, something like led settled into her stomach.

This didn't feel right. Where were the tents, the elephants? Why couldn't she smell cotton candy and fresh popcorn?

She didn't have time to think about it, though, as the elevator dinged and they were on the roof. The clown's grip tightened on her hand as he pulled her out of the elevator and onto the rooftop.

"This isn't the circus..." she said, voice barely above a whisper as fear filled her entire being. The clown had lied to her, and he was a bad man, the kind of person her father would've told her to run from. But where was there to run? She was on a rooftop...

The clown interrupted her thoughts. "Ahh, but it is, my dear. A circus of my own design. See that building over there?" he pointed to the building across the street.

"That, darling, is the opening act. Fireworks! And soon the whole city block will follow!" and he began to laugh as she began to shake, realizing what he was going to do. He was insane...

She realized her was staring at her now and stiffened, trying not to look afraid. The clown's voice, usually bright and cheery, was now low and almost threatening.

"You aren't smiling, kid." he said coldly.

She forced a smile, looking up at him with it painted across her features. But he saw through it, as he glowered at her. "When I found someone else in a costume, kid, I thought it was too good to be true. I thought you were different from the rest- thought you knew how to laugh. I guess I was wrong."

And suddenly his somber features turned cold, and he shoved her over the edge of the roof and she was falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! :)


	8. Both of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is crappy- it's incredibly hard to write this without making it choppy, and I hope it isn't too hard to follow. I hate those tense bomb defusing scenes, since I think they're cliché. We all know the hero is going to stop the bomb with one second remaining. So, unfortunately, no tense bomb defusing scene here, just what I hope is a lot of awesome instead of a pile of crap- but I'm not sure what is is yet, if I'm being too critical or am just really tired, so please, tell me the truth.

Dick scoured the streets desperately from his post on the roof of an apartment complex, hoping against home to see her small form on the streets.

Bruce had reported her missing, praying the Gotham PD would help find her. He valued her life more than the public stir it would cause about his parenting abilities.

After he'd reported her missing, however, he was left to don his cowl and nod to Dick, outlining search territory with places Scarlet had been to. They'd split up to cover more ground, and here he was- standing here, hoping against hope some sicko didn't get a hold of her as she wandered, when he noticed the two figures on the building across the street.

They were silhouetted in moonlight, a large and a small one, a man and a child...

And the larger form moved forwards, pushing the smaller figured off the edge of the roof...

No amount of training could've prepared him for that moment. His heart stopped for a moment, and he was back on the trapeze platform, watching his mother reach for him in vain as she fell, fell, fell...

But he reacted with the speed of lightening, as well. His grapple gun was instantly in hand, the blast echoing as the hook launched, and he was swinging through the air hurriedly...

He'd never caught someone in mid-air before. Batman had done it once, to save someone from a suicide attempt, but he'd merely watched. He wasn't at all prepared for the force that hit him when he and the small figure collided, nor the window of a few seconds he had to grab awkwardly onto her.

But he succeeded, managing to swing onto another, lower rooftop and roll awkwardly, getting tons of scrapes in the process.

He was a mess, cape over his eyes, and he scrambled to his feet quickly, rushing to the small heap that was the person he'd just saved, lying a few feet away from him.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously, not really thinking as he pulled the cape away from her face, revealing large frightened blue eyes staring up at him through a mask. The fear to be expected, of course, she'd just been pushed off a building, but he didn't expect the face that was staring at his own to be Scarlet's...

He stared at the clothes he'd clung to to drag her to safety- the black spandex and yellow shirt, domino mask, and black satin cape their father had given her...

"Dickie?" her small voice asked, sounding just as shocked as he felt. He knew then he couldn't deny it- she could see it was him even through the mask, it was useless to try and convince her otherwise...

"Yeah, it's me. What the heck happened?" he asked quietly, staring at her, still shocked he'd managed to find her...

"I met a clown. He said he'd take me to the circus, Dick- I believed him. He lied- he's going to blow up the whole city block!"

Dick stared for a moment, digesting the information.

This was an older section of Gotham, poorer, the gas lines that ran under the city could possibly be accessed here, and then all someone would need to do would be to simply light a match...

"He's gonna start with that building." Scarlet was already scrambling to her feet, pointing across the street at the large high rise apartment complex, and Dock's breath caught in his throat when he thought of how many people would be in their, asleep...

"Robin to Batman. I found Scarlet- we've got a situation."

Batman listened calmly as Dick explained the situation, somewhat hurriedly, to him. He was already planning. however, turning the wheel of the Bat Mobile and racing towards their part of the city...

"Get Scarlet somewhere safe and begin evacuating the block. Batman out."

Scarlet was looking at Dick carefully. "I could help." she said quietly.

Dick shook his head, looking remorseful. "I'm sorry, Scarlet, but it's too dangerous. You're the only family I have left- I can't lose you too." his eyes had grown glassy with emotion, and suddenly, to their right, the first explosion went off.

And Dick realized he no longer had a choice in the matter. They were in this together.

* * *

 

Batman was tearing through the streets towards their location, praying he'd get there in time...

It was then he saw the shadowy, ghostly figure dart in front of the batmobile. He slammed on the breaks, knowing in an instant who it was. The Joker. He needed to get to Robin, but the Joker might have a detonator on him for the bombs, and so he raced after the crazed clown, following the eerie trail of laughter...

He stopped before the open manhole, feeling his heart jump to his throat. This was an older section of the city, the gas lines ran underground, and might've been accessible through the sewers...

The laughter echoed eerily, and he dropped down into the sewers, racing after it, turning junction from junction, racing along until he saw the trail of ribbons and streamers and heard the deranged singing.

_"Baby birds can't fly... so they have to die... Robin's chest stained red with blood..."_

The words made rage boil within him. He raced around the final corner coming face to face with the madman, who had a pistol ready, but what the Joker hadn't accounted for was the unbridled rage that was now unleashed onto him.

In a second, the gun was flying through the air and laded in the water somewhere with a splash, and the Joker was on the ground, bleeding from the nose and unconscious.

Batman quietly stepped over his unconscious form, annoyed, and found the explosive device attached to the gas lines. Wordlessly, he pulled out a batarang and sliced the wires, and the device died. His children had to be safe, alive, unharmed...

Or the Joker would be wishing he was never born.

* * *

 

"We need to evacuate these buildings!" Robin yelled over the roar of the flames. Scarlet nodded, sprinting towards a nearby building as soon as her feet hit the ground and pulling the fire alarm, shepherding people away from the burning buildings...

"Did he say where to find the explosives?" Robin yelled over the chaos.

Scarlet shook her head. "All he said was that building was first..."

The sicko had probably wanted to watch the place burn.

People were racing outside of the burning complex, and Robin- no, Dick- she could see her brother's features clearly, though they were slightly hidden under the mask. He nodded to her.

"Whatever you do- stay here." He ordered, racing through the doors towards the carnage.

Scarlet waited one second, then two, before, in true six-year old fashion, she totally disregarded what he'd said a few seconds ago, racing in after him.

It was as close to hell as she'd ever been. Unbearable heat, smoke making the air so heavy it settled in her lungs like led, making it feel as though she were drowning...

She saw a flash of a yellow cape, though, and followed Dick. The stairwells, thankfully, were rather clear of smoke, and Dick yelled directions to people who were racing down the stairs as to where to go and which exits were safe, while she stood a few flights below pointing in said directions.

The flames has started at the top of the building, but she saw Dick disregard this completely and race up to the fifth and final floor, and, in a surprising display if power, kick a door. The sheer force of his blow broke the lock, and his eyes scanned the apartment nervously from behind his domino mask before he deemed it empty and raced to check the next room...

She got the idea and began joining him, throwing all her weight at the doors and using her elbow as a weapon in some places, mostly managing to break the cheap locks.

Dick was so devoted to making sure the building was evacuated, he almost didn't notice her. When he'd deemed the floor empty he turned in time so see her roll out of the was as part of the ceiling collapsed.

Dick seized her by the hand, suddenly anxious. This floor, as well as the rest of the building, no doubt, was clear, and it was time to get out of here.

* * *

 

Batman found himself staring- the building was in a hopeless blaze, beyond saving. Most of the civilians were accounted for, but Robin wasn't. He knew his son, knew that he wouldn't have left until he was sure all the people were safe- meaning her was probably still in there, and there was no telling where Scarlet was...

There was the thud as the door to the rooftop slammed open, and through the flames were too silhouetted figures. He would've gaped, but he was Batman, and he hid his emotions well from where he stood.

The Gotham PD had set up a perimeter around the building, but he'd disregarded it, instead opting to watch the blaze and pray his son came out alive in front of the cones and barriers. As per Commissioner Gordon's orders he wasn't disturbed.

"Holy Shit." Detective Bullock muttered, shocked at the sight of what appeared to be two children atop the roof- it'd cave in at any moment, he knew, if those two didn't get off it NOW they'd most likely fall with it...

"We have to jump!" Dick yelled over the roaring of the flames. "Whatever you do- don't let go."

And with that, he grabbed her with one arm and jumped, firing off his grappling gun as he went...

It found purchase on a streetlamp below, and he quickly pulled the trigger to prevent anymore line from escaping as they fell the remaining twenty feet, the force of the sudden running out of line nearly jolting his arm out of its socket but saving them from death by taking the momentum.

He felt Scarlet let go of him and hit the ground, rolling to absorb the shock, and he did the same. For a moment they both just laid on the concrete, panting and gasping...

"Bruce!" Scarlet said his name eagerly, and, thankfully, no one but them heard it over the crackling of the flames. She rushed to him, latching onto him, eager for the comfort his presence provided. Bruce quietly embraced her, allowing his cape to fall over his shoulder and hide her from view if the press that'd arrived as he helped Dick up.

"You did well. Both of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment! :)


	9. First Patrol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scarlet's ready to go on patrol.

"It won't be easy." Bruce stared at her quietly, watching her expression.

"Nothing ever is." Scarlet said, smiling slightly. Her face was covered in soot from the fire, all except for the area that'd been covered by her mask, making her look incredibly panda-like and adorable.

"It'll be dangerous- scary, even. People will die- you can't save everyone. You'll see things, maybe even be tortured..."

"It can't be worse than the nightmares..." she muttered quietly, and Bruce heard it but chose to ignore it for now.

"You're to young. Too small..."

"I'm not that little!" she jumped to her feet, small fists clenched and a fire in her eyes. "If you teach me, I can learn how to fight- you can't expect me to sit out on this!"

"That man that pushed you off the roof today. You know who he is? The Joker- insane- maniac- known to torture and kill. You aren't ready for that."

"I'm not afraid. What's the worst that could happen? I die? Then I'd get to see my parents..."

Bruce stared, surprised for a moment, He spent nearly ten minutes silent, brooding, before he carefully spoke.

"If I did train you, it would be months before you were ready to patrol on the street. You would be wearing kevlar body armor at all times- you'd stay close to me and obey EVERY order. If I order you to stay off the streets, if some criminal that I think is too dangerous breaks out, you'll stay here. And if I order you to leave me behind- you follow that order without question. Understood?"

"Perfectly." she met his gaze, unwavering.

"This isn't a game, Scarlet- I'm not Bruce anymore. I'm your teacher, and I will push you to your limits. You don't have to do this..." he didn't really want her to, truth be told. But he had ti give her a chance, like he had Dick.

"You can decide to quit if you feel like it's too much. I won't think any less of you if you do quit, and even then, maybe when you're older..."

"I'm not going to quit." she said, frowning at him.

"You say that now, but just know, whatever you want to do- it's your choice. Any questions?"

She gave him a slightly weary grin. "When do I start?"

**FIVE MONTHS LATER**

She stared up at the night sky, feeling the wind rush past them as she clung to Bruce's kevlar covered chest. This was, by far, the best part of being hero. The flying. Batman hadn't given her her own grapple gun yet, deeming her too little. Truthfully, he was terrified her hands would slip, since she wasn't all that big yet...

That was why he was keeping one arm firmly wrapped around her as he swung through the Gotham night, making sure she held onto him. She seemed ecstatic- he could see the way her blue eyes danced beneath the mask, the way she stared up at the starts with childlike wonder...

He had to smile slightly. She'd earned this, earned the yellow shirt and brown skirt that was her costume, adapted to wearing the black leggings underneath for extra protection, earned the very cape she was now tangled up in as she excitedly clung to him.

They reached their lookout point, however, and she perched atop the gargoyle beside Robin, studying the streets below them with excitement...

"What about that guy?" she asked, for what must have been the forth time that night, eagerly, pointing down to the lone, hunched figure of a man traversing the darkened street.

"He's a homeless man, Sparrow- not hurting anybody." Robin said, and she sighed. She'd wanted action, she hadn't imagined all this waiting...

She peered into the alley to her right. She didn't know Batman had purposely taken her to the safest part of the city for her first patrol, or that she was unlikely to find anything... All she noticed was the group of people.

"What about those guys?"

"What g-" Robin stopped short when he saw what she was pointing down at. A group of eight shady figures apparently conversing in the alley below...

"Batman. Drug deal going down..." his voice held a hint of anxiety, and Batman was instantly looking down. He nodded, taking in the situation, but suddenly felt an irrational fear swell when he realized Sparrow was going to have to fight with them. What chance did she stand against these men?

"We can't let them get away." Sparrow aas focusing intently on them, waiting for Batman to grab her and shoot off his grapple gun so they could go...

"Robin. Take her down with you after me- I'll be a distraction."

Robin instantly obeyed, grabbing Sparrow and holding her tightly, waiting as Batman fired off his own grapple gun, landing in the middle of all the thugs. Then he, too, descended, landing with Sparrow at the end of the alley...

Batman was fighting three while the rest fumbled for their guns to back up their comrades, and before he could order Sparrow to do anything she was moving, striking one man in the back of the knee and brining him down, slamming his head into the brick wall of the building and knocking him unconscious...

She was silent, like the night. All her eagerness had vanished, replaced by the grim certainty of her movements and what she was doing. He realized no one had even noticed her and ran, joining the fray, hoping to end this as quickly as possible...

Batman had already knocked out two of his attackers and was taking on the third. He could see Robin nail a pressure point on one man and drop him, but he had no idea where Sparrow was...

She ducked under the arms of a man pointing a gun a Batman, kicking to the groin and leaving the man to crumple on the ground... She was handling herself.

He aided Robin in the takedown of two more thugs, working together to distract and incapacitate them. They turned, watching Sparrow work with the last guard carefully...

The man was throwing punches that never seemed to connect- his target was smaller and faster than him, and in a flash she was behind him, slamming her leg into the back of his knee, bringing him down, and hitting a pressure point of his neck, making him go limp and lose consciousness.

"Got 'im." she panted happily, looking up, eyes alight with her sense of victory...

"Nice work." was all he said, smiling, before she clung to him, an excited look on her face as he fired off his grappling gun. She was going to like this hero thing.

* * *

 

Bruce stared at his communicator and email- Superman had written 1,727 emails, left 331 calls, and made numerous attempts to contact him via commlink since he'd adopted Dick and Scarlet, which was about eight months ago...

No missions off world had required him, of course, if it'd been urgent or dire in circumstance a leaguer (most likely Superman) would've come down to the city to speak with him personally. Meaning the League wanted to talk with him not about strategy, but about something else- his children.

The spike in the messages had first occurred when Robin made his debut on the Gotham streets, but messages were pouring in from nearly every leaguer, now. The newspaper had covered Sparrow's appearance with Robin during the incident with the Joker- she'd been in costume, and they'd given her the name Sparrow. Now that she'd completed the basic training with him and was on the streets again, things were blowing up...

"You cannot ignore them forever, Sir. Sooner or later they will come to contact you personally."

"I know, Alfred." Bruce said, sighing.

He typed a simple message, hitting 'reply all' and sending.

The one line of communication reached every leaguer.

I'll arrive at the watchtower at 10:00am tomorrow to debrief.

He sighed. It wasn't going to be easy, convincing them his children were ready. But he wasn't going to back down. He wasn't hiding them anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BA-BAM! Next chapter- they meet the League!


	10. Meet the League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet the League.

Superman paced the room of the watchtower quietly, as apprehensive as the group of members assembled behind him. Bruce had been out if contact for months- that was hardly unusual, though he often put a few files in the database over time to let them know he was alive, but seeing the headlines about him adopting two children and him then ignoring their calls had been worrisome...

And then he'd been asked to cover a story in the paper about Batman's apparently new sidekick, Robin. He'd been trying to contact Bruce ever since then, and when he wasn't answering he assembled the members of the league and discussed causing emergency meeting protocol and entering Batman's city to find him.

They'd declined, Wonder Woman, much to his frustration, saying Bruce would come and bring the boy with him when he was ready. That same night, however, news had broken of Batman having a second, younger sidekick had surfaced, and that was when they'd all unanimously decided to enact emergency protocol. When Bruce had informed him he'd be coming up tomorrow to explain himself, however, that had been totally unexpected...

And now there they were, waiting.

"Recognizing, Batman 02, Unrecognized Male, Authorization 447128, Unrecognized Female, Authorization 447128."

A moment later they materialized, and the leaguers were left to stare.

"Computer. Designate male Robin, designate female Sparrow." Batman ordered.

"Unrecognized male now authorized level 1 clearance, designated Robin B01. Unrecognized female now authorized level 1 clearance, designated Sparrow B02."

Batman nodded, looking satisfied, and strode out of the zeta tube, the children trailing behind him.

Wonder Woman found herself staring at the girl- she was tiny, an inch or two shy of four feet, and couldn't have weighed more than forty pounds...

Green Arrow scoffed. "Really? You seriously thought it was a good idea to start playing Daddy Daycare?" he said sarcastically.

Batman smirked, turning to his children. "Drop him."

"What!? Hey!" Oliver exclaimed, as each child darted off in the opposite direction from the other, capes snapping behind them. There was a bright flash from Robin's side of the room, and when everyone's eyes readjusted a second later, they'd vanished.

"What the heck..." Oliver looked around, shocked. "I- did anyone just see that!?"

"Yeah..." Flash was looking unnerved, and Batman just smiled...

The league collectively realized his smile was eerie, creepy, almost... And they wished he'd start scowling again.

"So they can play hide and seek." Oliver said, apparently having a quick surge of bravery. "What does that prove?"

And then the lights in the room flickered and promptly died.

"Holy crap..." Flash muttered, and Wonder Woman and Superman exchanged glances while Dinah smirked- these kids were pretty good, to manage to hack league systems.

"Bruce, you can call them off." Superman said calmly. "We came here tot talk about the... responsibility of your decision. Not to question their capabilities."

Batman narrowed his eyes at him. "I can't 'call them off', Clark. I gave an order. And they aren't dogs, they don't follow my every order. They're capable of thought. More so than Queen, anyways."

"Standing here in the dark will prove nothing, Bruce..." Diana started.

And then there was an eerie laugh- a child's laugh, the girl, most likely, from the sound and pitch of it, and the sound of running feet to their right...

Everyone turned, but there was nothing there. Only darkness.

"Bats, this is getting creepy..." Flash said, looking slightly unnerved.

"Bruce, CALL THEM OFF." Oliver snarled, stringing his bow with a trick-arrow. "I get it- they're capable."

Batman just smile. A moment later, the room exploded into a puff of smoke.

It enveloped everyone, and for a moment pure pandemonium broke loose...

Flash was running in circles, attempting to generate enough wind to clear the smoke, and Superman quickly moved to the side, pulling Dinah with him and using his X-Ray vision to see the happenings through the smoke...

He watched as, in one swift move, the boy ran at Oliver and slid under an arrow that'd blindly been shot in his general direction, sliding with his momentum carrying him the remaining few feet before his booted feet made contact with Oliver's angles, bringing the larger man down...

And the girl dropped from the ceiling, and he realized with trepidation she'd been hiding in the vents above them. She landed directly behind Oliver, seizing his arms and forcing them behind his back, slapping cuffs onto him.

All this had gone down in the course of a few seconds, of course, and an instant later the smoke cleared, courtesy of the Flash's wind.

Green Arrow looked absolutely miserable from where he was, ankles cuffed together and hands cuffed behind his back...

"You want us to get the rest of 'em, Daddy?" the girl called Sparrow asked, looking excited.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Had she just called Batman- the cold, fearless crusader of Gotham- Daddy?

Batman hid his smile well from where he'd been watching. "I don't think that will be necessary, tikno chiricklo. (1)"

Sparrow beamed, however, as did Robin, at the use of the affectionate nickname...

Oliver moaned. "Alright, alright, get it- they're amazing. Now will someone please uncuff me?" Oliver spoke into the ground, since he currently had no way to put his face up off the ground...

"I kind of like you better like this..." Dinah said, tapping her chin and looking pensive. She smiled when Oliver let out a frustrated sigh. Picking the locks of his cuffs was going to be FAR too fun.

There were some practical details to work out, of course, but from that day on, the league didn't question the addition of two little birds to their family of misfits.


	11. The Dentist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce takes his children to the dentist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on my own crappy experience at2 the dentist's office as a child.

"Daddy?" Scarlet Grayson asked nervously as she clutched his hand.

"Yes, Scarlet?" Bruce asked.

"I-I don't want to go to the Dentist..."

"Neither do I." Dick said, looking pale.

"I know, but it'll make your teeth healthy." Bruce tried to explain.

"Our teeth are fine." Dick said firmly.

"We'll let the dentist judge that." Bruce said firmly, taking them in. The waiting room had animals and trees painted in the walls, and there was a toy box with some other children scattered around. Scarlet let go of Bruce as he went over to check in with the receptionist and instead clung to Dick, looking scared.

"Hey, if anything goes wrong, we can just go ninja on them..." Dick said, trying to ease both their minds, but Scarlet didn't let go if him and he didn't peel his sister off.

"Dick Grayson?" a hygienist wearing what looked like purple pajamas with monkeys on them asked.

"Bruce, don't leave me." Dick whispered, eyes wide, and Bruce nodded, looking a bit surprised his son was so anxious as they went back to the examination room. Dick had been forced to peel Scarlet off, and she stood, afraid and unsure what to do.

She closed her eyes and envisioned every possible escape route in the building, planning what she would do when her turn came...

"Now, I'm going to count your teeth, alright?" the hygienist said, and Dick nodded and swallowed. He hated this, having to keep his mouth open and not being able to swallow or breath and feeling his teeth being poked and prodded...

"Oh, you have a loose one here." the hygienist settled her hook on one of his loose teeth and wiggled, hard- Dick heard the crunch of the root breathing and tasted the blood, sitting up, eyes wide.

He spit the tooth and blood into his hand and the hygienist stared, a bit shocked. "Well..."

Dick spit more blood into the small round sink, and Bruce handed his son some paper towels, which he pressed to the bleeding spot on his gum, feeling the pain...

"I'm done counting and cleaning your teeth, all we need now is for the dentist to come take a look at them." the hygienist informed them, standing to go and leaving them alone.

"Bruce... she ripped my tooth out!" Dick whispered urgently.

Bruce nodded. "I'm sure it was just an accident, Dick..."

"That accident didn't happen in your mouth!" Dick said, eyes wide.

"Look, we're almost done here, Dick..."

Just then the dentist, a man in his thirties, entered, smiling to them both. "Hello Dick. Open wide for me, alright?"

Dick hesitantly obeyed, and the man smiled. "I see you lost a tooth there. The tooth fairy will be coming soon..." Dick couldn't answer. His mouth was propped wide open, he was swallowing the blood from his gum, still, and this man was staring into his mouth... He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It would all be over soon...

Soon he stumbled out into the waiting room, gauze pressed to his bloody gum and feeling immensely relieved it was over

Scarlet, however, was feeling anything but calm. She saw the bloody gauze in her brother's mouth and panicked, but managed to stay where she was for Bruce's sake.

She clung to her father's hand as he went until the exam room with her. A hygienist, a different one, thankfully, cleaned her teeth and counted them before nodding for the dentist to come in.

He smiled. "Hello, Scarlet."

"H-hi..." Scarlet squeaked, still scared. The man directed himself to Bruce.

"I'd like to perform some sealants on her teeth, to prevent cavities..."

"She's pretty scared..." Bruce said, looking doubtful.

"It's very easy, trust me." the man said, flashing a pearly white smile.

Five minutes later Scarlet was in tears. There was a big blue piece of plastic in her mouth, she couldn't swallow, and some awful tasting goo was dripping down onto her teeth and trickling into her throat...

"Almost done with this one." the dentist said cheerily, hardening the sealant before pulling the blue plastic from her mouth. "Now, I have two more to do..."

"No! No more!" Scarlet cried, turning over so she was face down in the chair and still crying.

"Scarlet- Scarlet, please. It'll be easy..." the dentist tried.

"Scarlet, for me?" Bruce asked, feeling overwhelmed He wanted nothing more than to sock the dentist for making his baby cry, and wanted to tell him to buzz off...

"N-no..." Scarlet sobbed.

The dentist moved and forced Scarlet to turn over. While she was whimpered he went to start the next sealant, though it was clear Scarlet was terrified...

"Ow!"

Scarlet clamped down on his gloved hand, terror taking over...

She let up and the dentist pulled his hand away, cradling it as blood spurted freely from the bite...

"S-she bit me..." the dentist said, looking shocked.

"Dick! Dick, help me! Dick!" Scarlet yelled, still terrified. Dick pushed through several hygienists and ran into the room to see Bruce looking shocked, the dentist's hand dripping blood, and Scarlet sobbing.

"Scarlet!" Scarlet jumped into her brother's arms as the dentist ran out to go tend his cut, soothing her quietly.

"Shh... sh... I won't let him hurt you. If he tries anything, you bite him again." Dick said, and Bruce stood, realizing the appointment was over. He checked out and paid at the front desk, waiting until they were in the truck before taking Scarlet from Dick.

"Shhh... shh... I won't make you go back there ever again." Bruce said, resolving to find a different dentist.

"H-he was the w-worst dentist ever..." Scarlet hiccuped.

"Yes, he was." Bruce said, wondering how this place had gotten a good rep as a children's dentist. "Now, let's be thankful the press wasn't here."

Both children looked downcast. They hated he press following them around...

"D-did I bite him good, Daddy?" Scarlet asked, looking up at him with tear-filled baby blues...

"Yes. You bit him real good, Scarlet." Bruce said, chuckling slightly. "Now, how about we go out for ice cream?"

Both children nodded, Dick buckling Scarlet into the backseat. Bruce found it amazing this girl could fight criminals but be terrified by the dentist... Then again, this dentist had successfully traumatized both his children.

That day Bruce learned to never go near Scarlet's mouth when she was scared, and that ice cream had healing powers.


	12. Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids want pets.

"Dad, can we get a dog?" Dick asked one day after patrol.

Bruce thought quietly of all the maintenance needed to keep a dog and Alfred who already had to take care of his children while he was away...

"Sorry Dick, but no. We wouldn't have the time to give it a good home."

Dick nodded, looking a bit disappointed, as did Scarlet, before she perked up.

"What about fleas? At the circus Harry had fleas. He taught them to do tricks..."

"Until they got into the clown's wigs..." Dick said, wrinkling his nose at the memory. Bruce smiled slightly despite himself.

"No, we are not getting fleas, either."

"What about a turtle, Bruce? Those are real easy. The can't even run away..." Dick said.

"We aren't getting any pets, Dick." Bruce said firmly.

"Awww..." Scarlet was giving him puppy eyes now, and he knew he'd never be able to resist unless he turned away now, which he did.

"I'm going to work now. I want you two to have a good day at school." Bruce said to the wall.

"Why's he talking to the wall, Dickey?" Sparrow asked.

"Because we're bothering him..." Dick said.

"Time to get ready for school, Master Dick and Mistress Sparrow." Alfred called. Sparrow wrinkled her nose. "Don't call me mistress, Alfred. It's too girly." she said, before ducking out to get ready. Bruce looked warily over his shoulder to be sure the puppy eyes were gone before going about his day.

Later that day, Bruce entered the house smiling. He'd had an idea at work, and he set the two boxes on the table...

"Dick! Sparrow! Come down here please..." He called. There was no clattering, but Bruce smiled as he heard the familiar sound of socks squeaking on the banister as both the acrobats slid down, each leaping off and running to him.

"Daddy!" they grinned and both hugged him.

"Hello, you two. Look what I got." Bruce pointed to the boxes with holes in them and Sparrow squealed. "It's a bunny!" she said, jumping up and down.

"Not quite, you two. Aren't you going to open it?"

"Can we?" Dick asked, ever polite.

Bruce nodded. "Go ahead and open them."

Both children opened the boxes, incredibly excited...

"It's a rock." Dick said, looking thoroughly disappointed.

"I thought you liked us, Bruce." Sparrow looked up at him, looking all sad...

"What kinda person gives a kid rocks?" Dick asked, looking even more disappointed.

"They aren't just rocks. They're pet rocks, see..." Bruce said, trying to rectify the situation.

"Well how do they see? They don't have eyes." Sparrow said, looking slightly confused. "Or ears- or brains- geeez! They hardly got anything!"

"They don't need to see." Bruce said, handing one to each of them.

"And you can feed them, and bathe them, and treat them just like a person..."

Dick stared. "But it's just a rock!"

"Don't say that! He didn't mean it Rocky, he didn't mean it!" Sparrow yelled, grabbing her rock off the ground and running away.

"I see someone's bonded already." Bruce said, smiling happily. At least one of his children liked the rocks...

"Hi..." Dick picked up his own rock, looking at it carefully. "I... I guess I own you now..." Dick was eager to bond more with his own rock...

That night at bedtime, Bruce slipped carefully into Scarlet's room to tuck her in, smiling slightly when he saw what she clutched into her hands- a pet rock.

Dick's pet rock sat on his nightstand, with a small name tag. Bruce leaned forward to read it. In Dick's neat handwriting, it read; Oscar. Bruce had to chuckle slightly- he hoped his children didn't start getting too caught up in their rocks... _

* * *

 

"Rocky is better than Oscar." Sparrow declared proudly, holding up Rocky. She'd glued google eyes onto the rock, and Dick was doing the same with his. "Is not. Oscar is better than Rocky any day..."

"His eye is crooked..." Sparrow reached over to straighten it and accidentally knocked it off. "Hey!" Dick grabbed the nearest thing he had, which was Oscar, and threw it at her to ward her off. Oscar slammed into her face and she fell back, gasping and clutching her nose, looking scared...

Dick realized what he'd done with horror. "Scarlet! Scarlet, I'm sorry! Let me see, let me see, I'll help..." Dick saw the blood cascading down her nose and onto her lips and knew it was far too much for him to handle.

"Dad! Dad, help! Scarlet's hurt!" Dick yelled, and Bruce raced in, heart pounding at the urgency in his son's voice and the mention of his youngest being injured...

Scarlet had curled into a ball on the floor, eyes wide with fear. Blood trickled from her nose onto her lips and chin, and Bruce recoiled slightly with horror at the sight of his youngest hurt...

"It's alright, Scarlet, it'll be alright..." Bruce gathered her into his arms, and the frightened six year old buried her head in his chest, clinging to him desperately. Bruce carried her to the kitchen, sitting her on the counter.

"Lean forward- that's it..." he held a tissue to her nose, using a damp cloth to dab off the blood...

"Tati?" she asked quietly.

"You'll be alright baby, I promise..." Scarlet nodded. Her mouth was filling with blood, and Bruce, like any dutiful parent would, held a tissue under her chin for her to spit into. Finally, the blood stopped.

"Scarlet, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to..." Dick said, as Bruce picked Scarlet up again. She leaned her head on her foster father's shoulder, eyes closing.

"It's alright, Dickey. It was an accident." she said quietly. Dick was crying slightly, he was so upset about what he'd done, and Bruce turned to him.

"Dick, I want you to go in up to your room and I'll be there to talk with you in a minute." Bruce said firmly.

Dick nodded, darting one last glare at Scarlet before heading upstairs.

"Mmmm..." Sparrow muttered into Bruce's shoulder, and Bruce had to smile slightly. All the excitement had tired his six year old out, and he gently laid her down in bed, placing the covers over her and rubbing her back until she fell asleep. Bruce smiled at her slightly before standing to go to Dick's room. He knew the boy felt horrible- he'd kept apologizing, and Bruce had a feeling Dick had somehow caused the injury...

He found Dick sniffling on his bed. "Care to explain what happened to me?" he asked, and Dick sat up, nodding.

"I... I was putting googly eyes on Oscar... and Sparrow went to try and straighten them... I thought she was going to mess him up and I guess I just threw Oscar... I expected to grab a couch pillow or something soft Dad, honest! I didn't mean to hurt her..." Dick started crying again, and Bruce placed a hand on his son's shoulder and allowed to boy to cry himself dry.

"It's alright Dick. Accidents happen. But you need to remember to be careful, Scarlet is a lot smaller than you..."

Dick sniffed and nodded. "Is she... is she alright?" he asked.

"She's fine. She's taking a nap now, everything tired her out. I understand it was an accident, and I won't punish you since you really are sorry... Why don't you stay up here to calm down a little. Scarlet doesn't blame you either, she knows accidents happen. Alright, Dick?"

"Alright. If... if she wakes up... tell her I'm sorry again, will ya?" Dick asked, wiping his eyes.

Bruce smiled. "I will, Dick. Come down when you feel like it." Bruce said, before leaving and sighing, He checked in on Scarlet to find the girl sleeping soundly and smiled. Being Batman was nothing compared with the duties of being a father.

* * *

 

Sparrow dodged a thug's punch that same night as they were on patrol. Despite her earlier bloody nose, she'd pleaded enough and Bruce had allowed her to go on patrol. Only Batman was paying far more attention to Sparrow than he should've been- a thug grabbed him and pushed him down, getting on top of the dark knight, knife blade held at his throat...

Dick moved to take out the guard harassing Sparrow, who dodged forward hurriedly. Batman had a firm grip on his attacker's wrist and was struggling to keep the knife from slitting his throat...

Sparrow grabbed the first thing she could and threw it, and it collided with he thug's head. He fell to the ground, unconscious...

"Daddy!" Sparrow ran to her father, who got to his feet.

"I'm alright, Sparrow." Batman said. Sparrow nodded, dropping to her knees and searching the ground. "Rocky did it! He saved your life, Dad!" she said, holding up the rock proudly. "I chucked him at that guy's head and he whacked him good!"

"See Oscar, you should be more like Rocky!" Robin had come over now and was chastising his own pet rock, and Batman smiled sightly as he shook his head, wondering what he'd started.

* * *

 

Rocky was an alright pet, but Bats were way better, Sparrow figured. There was a reason she went outside every night that spring to catch moths and worms, and there was a reason why she slipped into the bat cave late at night as well.

One day Bruce followed her, curious as to what she did. She ignored all the high tech crime fighting instruments and the bat mobile, instead choosing to walk up to the section of the cave where the bats roosted, her bug catcher filled with moths in tow.

"Hi guys." she smiled up at the bats, who squeaked in reply. One fluttered down and landed on her shoulder, squeaking insistently as he pressed his wet nose against her face...

"Oh Luke..." She held up a moth and the bat seized it, eating it quickly and looking expectant. "Hang on, Luke. I have to feed the others..." She opened her bug catcher and the moths and butterflies flew out into the air. Instantly the bats screeched, sonar detecting all kinds of tasty bugs in the cave...

Bruce watched as the bats swooped, knowing his childhood fear of them was gone. They chased down every single moth, and a few alighted on Sparrow, sitting on her shoulders like parrots. She held out worms, which they quickly devoured, before simply allowing her to stroke them. Finally, they alighted to go and hunt more moths in the dusk, and Sparrow was left to stare after them, smiling slightly.

"Bats..." she mumbled.

"Alfred, I want every single one of those bats vaccinated against rabies. We have children around here now, I don't want there to be any accidents to happen..." Bruce said firmly as he watched his baby girl from a distance.

"Of course, master Bruce." Alfred said, slightly proud Bruce was this protective.

"Bats..." Bruce muttered, shaking his head. "I should've known the kid would find some way to domesticate them..." but secretly, he was proud.


	13. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kid's first Christmas at Wayne Manor. Not very long, but I felt the need to post it anyway.

"Tati! Wake up Tati!" Sparrow squealed, jumping on Bruce. "It's Christmas!"

"Christmas!" Dick agreed, jumping on Bruce as well. "Come on Bruce, wake up!"

"Mmmrfff..." Bruce's eyes opened to see two little faces peering down at him.

"Merry Christmas, Bruce!" they both yelled in unison, and Bruce had to smile.

"Merry Christmas, you two. Did you go see what santa left you?" Bruce asked, rubbing his eyes and trying not to look tired.

"Not without you, silly! Come on!" Sparrow grabbed Bruce's hand and they all ran to the stairs, Bruce laughing slightly at their excitement. They both leaped onto the banister, siding down it in their stockinged feet and leaping off...

"Santa came, Santa came!" Dick cheered, and Sparrow stared at the tree they'd all decorated, now surrounded by presents.

Alfred cheerily set up the camera so they could film the children's first christmas at the Wayne manor, smiling at the childlike excitement.

"Now, who wnts to open first?" Bruce asked. "You do!" Sparrow sang, and Dick quickly handed him a box wrapped in the comics from the newspaper.

"You two didn't have to get me anything..." Bruce said.

"Open it, Bruce." Dick urged. Bruce was touched they'd actually get him something, and he opened it to find a hand-painted mug that read, BEST DAD EVER.

Bruce smiled. "I love it. Thanks, you two."

"You're welcome!" they chorused. "Alfred's turn!" Sparrow announced, holding up a small box.

"Why I never... you shouldn't have!" Alfred said, looking rather surprised as he came out from behind the camera.

"Just open it, Alfie!" Sparrow said, bouncing in the balls of her feet with excitement. Alfred carefully peeled back the paper...

"Cufflinks! Why thank you! How on earth did you know I was needing new ones?" Alfred asked.

Dick shrugged. "Sparrow said it should be something fancy..."

"And what says fancy more than cufflinks?" Sparrow asked, and everyone chuckled at her cuteness. "Thank you very much, Masters..." Alfred said, truly touched. "They weren't the only ones that got you something, Alfred." Bruce said, handing the butler a box.

"Master Bruce, there really was no need..." Alfred said, looking quite flustered.

"Don't thank him until after you open it, Alfie!" Dick admonished, and everyone laughed again. Alfred opened it to reveal several historical novel's he'd been intent on buying himself...

"How?" Alfred asked, looking shocked. Bruce smiled. "I'm Batman." was all he said.

Sparrow looked around and found a gift addressed to Dick, nudging it towards him, Bruce watched, slightly confused, until he saw the childish attempt at wrapping Sparrow had made and realized she'd gotten it for Dick...

Dick stared. "For me?" he asked, and Sparrow nodded, eyes shining as she bounced silently in excitement.

Dick pulled off the paper and found...

"Batman comics issue number 771! How on earth did you find it!?" Dick asked, and Sparrow giggled. "The internet, silly."

"I... thanks!" Dick said, hugging her before handing her a present that had dick's careful attempt at being wrapped. She tore into it, opening the shoebox to reveal... A batman plushie. She squealed in delight, pulling it out and hugging him. "It's so squishy!" she yelled, and everyone laughed.

"Here, Dick..." Bruce handed his son a large box and Dick opened it, staring...

"The new hot wheels set! Thanks, Bruce!" Dick lunged at Bruce, hugging him, and Bruce smiled, ruffling his hair. "No problem, Dick."

Bruce handed Sparrow a box next, and she tore it open, grinning at the remote control plane. "Thanks, Bruce!"

Bruce was left watching them, a feeling he hadn't felt in years since his parents had been killed, bubbling within him. It was joy. Winter had meant nothing to him before, Christmas had been non-existent. He hadn't wanted ti remember how empty the holidays were without his parents...

Now, though, he WAS the parent. And the holidays were anything BUT empty with these two...

And so the morning went, leaving both Bruce and Alfred to smile as the children finished opening gifts and started trying to assemble the gifts. They'd gotten up at five in the morning, and by noon Dick was flying the plane scarlet had got, since both siblings had been intent on sharing their gifts, and Scarlet was curled up amidst all the wrapping paper shreds, asleep, thumb in her mouth, holding her Batman plushie. Bruce smiled. It had been the best Christmas- the first Christmas he'd truly celebrated- in years.


	14. Kid Flash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The batkids meet Kid Flash.

There was a red-and-yellow blur down the hallway of the watch tower, like a small tornado. Batman scowled as it rushed past him- he would've been used to it if it was Barry, but it wasn't. It was his nephew. The LAST thing this world needed was another Flash. Not to mention one that was smaller, and less responsible than Barry (if it was even possible to be less responsible than him.).

Still, he had a meeting to get to. Sparrow and Robin were relaxing in the entertainment room, watching TV of some sort, and he took his seat in the room and scowled at Flash. "If that boy hurts either of them, he's dead."

Barry simply swallowed and nodded.

* * *

 

Kid Flash stood, vibrating with excitement as the two other costumed children, clearly also sidekicks, approached him.

They were both studying him suspiciously, almost like they were trying to figure out what he was. That dulled his excitement a little. But not by much, because hey- these were the first other sidekicks he'd met, and it would be awesome to be friends with someone in the hero world.

When they were about ten feet away from one another, the two stopped walking. Sparrow and Robin were just watching the speedster vibrate, studying him carefully and uncertainly.

"I... he's... shaking." Robin said to Sparrow quietly, sounding confused.

"I think he's gonna explode." Sparrow whispered urgently.

They waited in a beat of tense silence- thankfully, the vibrating boy didn't explode into a mess of blood and entrails. That was good.

"He's not exploding..." Sparrow said, looking confused.

"Maybe... maybe he just really has to pee?" Robin suggested.

The three stared at one another for a good minute, Wally continuing to vibrate in place, barely able to contain his excitement. These weren't just any sidekicks- he recognized them, now. They were Robin and Sparrow- sidekicks to Batman. He couldn't think of anything to say, he was so afraid he'd screw it up, and the buzzing excitement didn't help his thinking process much.

Slowly, Robin approached the boy, looking at him uncertainly. "Dude- are you okay?"

And Wally, figuratively, of course- exploded.

"Ohmygosh, you'reRobinandSparrow! YouguysworkwithBatman! Doyourideinthebatmobileandfightcrimeinthenightandstuff? Doyouswingfromtherooftopsandcatchallthephsycos!"

And Sparrow burst out laughing. "He sounds like a chipmunk!" she said, giggling.

Wally's face fell. They'd just met and they were already making fun of him?

Robin noticed his sudden deflated look and looked concerned. "Woah, dude- don't be like that. She just meant you're talking really, really fast and high-pitched, is all. Right, Sparrow?"

Sparrow nodded. "Sorry. I just thought it sounded funny..."

Wally smiled, glad to realize they weren't picking on him. "Thanks. I'm Kid Flash. I already know who you guys are! Robin and Sparrow! Crusaders of Gotham!" he looked at them, eyes bright and excited. "I've read about you guys in so many newspapers."

"You have?" Robin asked, looking surprised.

Kid nodded eagerly. "Duh! You guys even make the second page sometimes! It should be front page news, of course, but since it doesn't directly relate to Central City, they put it on the second..."

The siblings exchanged surprised glances- Batman never provided them with any media telling of their exploits- he planned on sheltering both his children from it for at least another few years.

"So, you're Kid Flash. Flash's nephew, right?" Robin asked, and Kid nodded eagerly.

"Well then- what do you wanna do, KF?" Robin asked, already slightly excited at the prospect of having another kid in the watchtower. Now he and Sparrow wouldn't have to try and amuse themselves alone...

Kid beamed at his new nickname, KF, and shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe you guys could show me around the place, since, heh- I'm really lost right now." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, blushing slightly.

"Cafeteria's to the right..." Robin said quietly. Sparrow had already took off in said direction, and Robin sighed before following her. Kid Flash beat them both there, though.

"Have any chips or something?" he asked around a mouthful of brownies.

Sparrow was scaling the counter, which she then stood on to reach a locked cupboard, drawing something from her utility belt. The lock pick. She fumbled with the lock for a moment before it opened, and Robin caught Wally's questioning glance.

"Oreos. Have to lock them up, or Martian Manhunter will take them all." he explained, and Wally nodded. A minute later they'd peeled back the plastic, and were staring at three rows of angelic, cream-filled love. Double Stuf.

Wordlessly, as though observing the silence as part of a sacred ritual, all three took one row from the package, beginning to eat. That was the last thing they remembered.

* * *

 

"Holy cow..." Superman muttered, looking around the room. Numerous birdarangs were embedded in the walls, which was impressive, since they were made of high-quality steel.

The cupboards were strewn open, a bottle of tabasco sauce spilled on the table, what looked to be a trail of black pepper scattered everywhere. just the aroma made everyone's eyes sting, not to mention the small amount of smoke in the rook because something on the stove was, in fact, on fire.

The cushions had been pulled off the couch, the throw pillows were torn apart, leaving fluff throughout the room.

They'd somehow managed to get a plunger stuck to the ceiling, as well, and eggs splattered the wall.

Sparrow was asleep onto of the refrigerator, curled up like a cat. The open door revealed the kids had clearly stolen the lightbulb from it, since the interior of it was dark.

Wally was suspended in the air, duct taped against the wall, a good foot off the ground. he'd had tape everywhere but his mouth, leading them to believe he could've called for help if he wanted. But he clearly hadn't minded too much, since his head lolled on his shoulder and he drooled slightly, since he, too, was asleep.

The grate from the vent was on the floor, and hanging down from the ceiling through where the grate had been was Robin's arm, dangling limply, the sound of light breathing informing them he was, in fact, alive, and sleeping.

In the center of all the carnage- the pillow stuffing, the egg shells, couch cushions with mystery stains- sat an open, empty package of oreos. Batman knelt to examine it, a disgusted look on his face he realized the snack cookies had caused the sugar rush which had, in turn, caused the mini-apocalypse during the two-hour meeting.

"Never again." he growled.

The trio had been best friends ever since.


	15. Meet the Joker

"D-dad... I don't feel so good..." Dick admitted, sneezing slightly. Bruce felt the boy's forehead- he was definitely hot.

"You're warm. What hurts, Dick?" Bruce asked, kneeling down so he was eye level with the pale boy.

"My throat and my head." Dick said without hesitation. He broke into a wet coughing fit, and Bruce gathered the sick boy into his arms, carrying him up to his room. He put the thermometer in the boy's mouth and waited for it to beep, getting out the children's tylenol and reading the dosage before pouring it for Dick.

The thermometer beeped- 101.9*. Definitely a fever.

"I want you to rest for the night, alright, Dick?"

Dick nodded, taking his tylenol gratefully before leaning back. Suddenly he sat up.

"What about Sparrow? S-she can't go on patrol without me to watch her..."

Bruce was already thinking of that. "Don't worry, Dick, I'll take care of it. Now rest." Bruce ordered, placing a wet wash cloth on the boy's forehead before leaving.

Sparrow was already getting her costume on, excited, as she always was, for the night's patrol. Bruce didn't know what he was going to do or say to her. He didn't want her out on patrol with only him- he always trusted Dick as an extra set of eyes, and with him sick he certainly didn't want Sparrow out in patrol... she was too young, too inexperienced...

"Hey Tati, I'm ready." Sparrow said, looking excited. Batman looked at the computer- it was beeping- and answered Commissioner Gordon's call.

"Yes, commissioner?"

"The Joker's broken out of Arkham."

"Got it. Batman out." he killed the communication and turned t Sparrow.

"Stay behind."

"What?" Sparrow looked crestfallen, but Batman brushed it off, He didn't have time for this.

"Dick is sick, Joker's just broken out... I can't have you come tonight. I'm sorry, Sparrow."

She turned and ran away, probably heading off to cry, and Batman sighed. He'd try and make amends later...

He got into the Bat mobile and sped out of the Bat cave, parking the vehicle in its normal place behind an old warehouse. Snow dotted the ground, and Batman was glad his thermal uniform protected him from the mid-January cold. He stood to go, on high alert for any funny business (no pun intended) from the Joker.

As soon as he'd scaled a fire escape the trunk of the bat mobile popped open, and Sparrow dusted herself off, closing the trunk before vaulting onto the fire escape and silently shadowing her father. There was no way she trusted Bruce to patrol by himself- he could get hurt, and he might need her... She'd already lost one set of parents, and there was no way she was going to lose Bruce.

Batman, incredibly, didn't notice his littlest protégé, so intent was he on finding the Joker. Still, he saw a small mugging going down and jumped down to help. That was when Sparrow saw the other thugs approaching from an alley to ambush her father. She jumped to head them off, but they saw her shadow, and a gun went off.

She screamed- it was the first time she'd been shot- but the bullet hit the Kevlar, and she recovered herself quick enough to dodge another bullet, racing out of the alley, away from Batman, hoping to draw them away.

"Come on! She's wounded. Let's finish her." One of the men audibly said, and the raced after her. Sparrow ducked a punch and took one man down, fight fueled by the pure terror of being killed and the thought of Bruce having to find her body...

Trick streamers suddenly exploded around them, startling her enough that she jumped back like a frightened cat, unding up on her butt in the snow.

"It's the Joker! Let's go!" the men dropped their guns and fled in terror, and Sparrow, still scared, snatched a pistol from the ground and backed against a door, using the doorway as a slight alcove, breathing heavy and fear clouding all rational thought...

* * *

 

Bruce, meanwhile, had heard his daughter's scream and the shot and put two and two together. His baby was here, possibly wounded, with the Joker running around Gotham...

"She's wounded. Let's finish her."

He heard the words and something primitive within him ignited. He threw a man off him with such force he smacked into the wall with an audible crack, before snarling at the remainder of the thugs and slamming into one who'd tried to rush him. Five men. He could down them, get to Sparrow- she just had to hang on for him.

* * *

 

Snow swirled around outside the alcove, and Sparrow fingered the gun, terrified, waiting. The snow was like stardust, swirling in stark contrast to the dark night and suddenly the man himself was revealed, pasty white face and red lips with green hair...

"Stay back!" she yelled, fingering the gun.

"Relax. I won't hurt you, see...?" the Joker said, voice sticky sweet. She remembered the time she'd spent with the madman as Scarlet Grayson, how in a moment he'd snapped and tried to kill her, and shuddered.

"You can keep the gun. I came here to see you. You must be pretty special to Bats if he wanted to keep you from me."

"D-don't come any closer..." Sparrow said, teeth chattering and tears of fear starting to fall.

"Aww kid, don't cry. I hate crying. I like laughs. That's my goal in life, to make the bat laugh..." he pulled out a rubber ducky and set it beside her.

She was about to shoot him when he squeezed it, and it squeaked.

"It isn't booby trapped, kid. Now, I just wanted to tell you all that before Batsy plants any convoluted theories in your head." the Joker pulled off his purple suit coat and draped it around his shoulders.

"Have a good night, kid.". He gave her that blood red smile, throwing his head back and laughing, before he turned and left, disappearing in the swirling snow.

"Sparrow!" Batman tore through the alley and snatched up his little bird. "Are you hurt?" she shook her head, clinging to her father and remaining completely unaware that she was still wrapped in the Joker's coat.

But even now, as she felt incredibly sick from being in the cold too long and Bruce scolded her about how reckless she'd been, but mainly he was only just grateful she was alright. Why Joker hadn't slit her throat on the spot, he didn't know.

But even as Sparrow laid in bed, wrapped in blankets in an attempt to ward off the chills, she found herself wondering- could the Joker be saved?


	16. Roy

"Scarlet, the Joker is basket case. There is no way he can be redeemed." Dick said, sighing. He had since recovered from his cold, but Scarlet was now down for the count after her encounter with the Joker two days ago.

"If he's so crazy, then how come he didn't kill?" Scarlet asked. Bruce was downstairs hosting a party, pretending to be a playboy again. Sometimes it seemed only they knew the soft side of the billionaire.

Dick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's just it. He's unpredictable and insane- it's what makes him so dangerous. I don't know why he didn't kill you, but I do know this- you were lucky. Bruce said I have to come down at least once, since I'm not sick. I'll be back in ten minutes, alright?"

"Alright." Scarlet nodded and Dick left. She sighed- she hated getting colds, but then again, it was better than being at the stupid party. She hated having a father who had to fake being a playboy, but she didn't say anything to him. Se knew Bruce disliked it as well, and didn't want to make him feel bad. Besides, he' already come upstairs to check on her three times, she knew he loved her. This was just one of those things they had to do.

The door opened a crack, and she looked up, surprised. "Tati?" she asked hopefully.

"Hello." A man in a tuxedo with slick brown hair and green eyes entered the room, smiling.

"Oh- hi. I thought you were my Dad." Scarlet said, eyes growing downcast again.

"Scarlet, can I ask you some questions?" the man asked, eyes serious.

"N-no... Dad says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Scarlet said getting a little afraid. She didn't like this strange man in her bedroom.

He whipped out a notepad. "Is this really your room? Do you really have your own bed?"

"Yeah..." she was confused, innocent mind not comprehending why was he asking this. "Can you leave me alone?"

He ignore her, writing down more things. "Does Bruce ever hit you? Does he love you?"

"Are you saying my Dad's mean!?" Scarlet demanded. "I don't like you, get out! Get out now!" she yelled, sitting up in bed.

The man moved forward, grabbing her arm tightly. "Look kid, I want a story, and I want a good one. I don't care if you don't like my questions, brat, but you'll answer them..."

"Let me go! I'll hurt you!" Scarlet screamed.

The reporter chuckled. "I'd like to see you try, brat."

That was when the door burst open.

* * *

 

Roy Harper sighed, bored. He didn't see why Ollie had insisted he come to this boring party of Bruce Wayne's anyways- then again, being a rich man's ward meant you had to do crap- like dress up in a tux and come to these stupid events.

He'd long since been bored of the other thirteen year old snobby girls practically throwing themselves at him, and he stuck his hands in his pockets as he aimlessly wandered the Wayne Manor.

He trailed his finger on the bust of some long dead greek scholar- no dust at all. The butler really was amazing... Suddenly he heard it. A scream in the distance.

"Are you saying my Dad's mean!? I don't like you! Get out! Get out, now!" it was a girl's voice, followed by a low baritone he couldn't hear. He could tell the words being shared weren't nice, and he had already started running towards the voices.

"Let me go! I'll hurt you!" the girl screamed.

Roy had almost reached the door by now when he heard the man's laughter and reply. "I'd like to see you try, brat."

That did it. Roy kicked open the door, the red head's eyes an inferno of age. Both the reporter and the girl, who could only be around six, looked at him, the reporter shocked, the girl scared.

"She said to go." Roy said.

"I was just visiting her to be sure she was alright..." the reporter said, fluffing the pillows.

"Bull crap." Roy said, staring the man down. "I already thought you were a sleaze ball the moment I saw you, but harassing a kid, really? You asked for it." Roy cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. The reporter's eyes widened, even though he was a head taller than Roy, he was a coward. Roy's fist sent the man staggering back, and he followed it with another that gave the reporter a bloody nose.

"Mind your own business, kid!" the reporter snarled, suddenly angry this kid had hit him. He threw two well aimed punches, and Roy staggered and slammed into the girl's dresser...

"I said get out!" Scarlet yelled, emboldened by Roy's courage. She moved too fast to see, sweeping out the man's legs from under him and pouncing, punching his face like he was just another thug on the street. The difference was she wasn't in costume.

Roy stared as he got his bearings. How could one little kid be so... ferocious?

The man threw a punch she couldn't dodge that sent her into the wall and got Roy ticked off times ten. This guys was a total jerk. Roy slammed his fist into his face, knocking him unconscious.

"You alright?" Roy asked, running over to her, but the girl was already brushing herself off. "Thanks for the help." she said, smiling. She was panting pretty hard, however, and she looked pale...

"No problem..." she stuck out her hand. "Scarlet Grayson. But you can call me Scarlet, everyone else does."

Roy nodded, shaking her small hand. "Roy Harper. Got anyplace I can dump this jerk? A backdoor, maybe?"

Scarlet nodded, guiding him by the hand to the back door, where Roy unceremoniously deposited the man's unconscious form on the ground, turning and locking the door as Scarlet broke out coughing.

The fit lasted for around a minute, and Scarlet was left gasping for breath.

"Say, you alright, kid? You don't look so good..." Roy placed a hand on her forehead and pulled back to find her burning up.

"I'll be... fine... I was sick before he came in, anyways..." Scarlet said, staring towards her room but looking somewhat shaky. Roy resisted the urge to carry her, since she'd just had a bad encounter with a stranger and he didn't want to frighten her more...

"So you weren't at the party because you're sick?" Roy asked.

She nodded. A question came out of his mouth before Roy could stop it. "And your Dad, Bruce, just left you alone in your room?"

"No. He's been up to see me three times." she said, looking unperturbed by being left alone, before she broke out into a coughing fit.

"Take it easy..." Roy rubbed her back until the fit subsided, and she nodded to him. "Thanks..."

"Scarlet!" the nervous voice drifted down the corridor...

"Dad"

Bruce Wayne rushed over to the girl and scooped her up. "I thought someone had kidnapped you..."

"Nope. Some jerky reporter..." Scarlet started, but broke out coughing again.

Bruce felt her forehead and his brow creased. "I'm calling Dr. Leslie up here." He announced.

"You should've seen him, Dad. Roy beat the crap outta the guy..."

Suddenly Bruce and Oliver Queen, who'd been walking with Bruce to come and meet Scarlet, noticed Roy. "You did what?" Bruce asked, looking interested.

Roy studied his boots and shrugged. "Some reporter was harassing her so I gave him what he had coming. Scarlet did most of the facial damage." Roy said. "The kid sure can fight..."

"Not now, Roy, Bruce has to go get the doctor for Scarlet." Oliver said quickly, trying to divert his ward's attention from Scarlet's combat skill.

"Bye Roy..." Scarlet said hoarsely, waving from where she clung to Bruce's front like a baby Koala.

"Bye kid." Roy said, waving. Bruce hadn't even thanked him for saving the girl- but in a way, he was glad- his hovering and concern in getting the doctor showed he really did care for the girl. Besides, he had an inkling Scarlet could've taken down the reporter by herself, if need be.

"Ollie- how?" Roy asked as they left Bruce to be with Scarlet.

"How what?" Ollie asked, failing miserably at hiding the fact he knew something.

"How does a kid like Scarlet Grayson, daughter of Bruce Wayne, have the combat knowledge of a Navy SEAL?" Roy asked.

Oliver sighed. "She was raised in a circus, things there were probably rough..."

"Don't give me that crap, Ollie, you're hiding something from me, and I know it."

Oliver sighed. "You'll learn soon enough."

And Roy did learn when, a week later, he was introduced to the Justice League as Speedy.

"These are the other sidekicks we have in training. Wally West- Kid Flash. Robin, and Scarlet."

"Roy!" Scarlet launched herself at Roy, who caught her thanks to his reflexes and smiled.

"We've met before, have we not?" he asked teasingly.

"You know it! I can't believe you're a hero too!" Scarlet grinned. Roy suddenly saw where Scarlet had gained her knowledge of combat. He noted Dick, no, he was Robin, watching them with interest.

Batman stepped forward. "Scarlet- trapeze- now." Batman ordered.

"Yes Daddy." Scarlet scampered off to the trapeze set and Roy met Batman's batglare.

"What? I hugged her. I'm not some thug whose going to try and shoot her." Roy said.

"I know. You give away her or Robin's identity, you're dead." Batman growled.

"How low do you think I am?" Roy asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't assume things, Roy Harper. I know more about you than you now. Just don't hurt my children, and I won't hurt you." Batman said, before walking out.

"Hey Roy, up here!" Scarlet flipped from trapeze bar to trapeze bar almost effortlessly, and Roy gaped. How the heck did the girl do that?

"Get over here!" Roy looked up to see Dick hanging upside down on the opposite bar, and Scarlet swung to her brother, doing a triple flip before returning to her own bar. Wally ran over to stand beside Roy.

"Crazy, aren't they?" he asked.

Roy just nodded dumbly. That day he learned to never underestimate the Bats.


	17. The First of Many Incidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, some bro/sis bonding with Roy, Dick, Wally, and Scarlet. If you want more, comment! Thanks again, and please bookmark, comment, and kudos!

"Roy!" Scarlet ran over and lunged at the archer,who caught her and returned the hug.

"Hey kid." he said gruffly, ruffling her hair. Still, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly- it was good to see them again.

"Hi Roy..." Dick bounced over and Roy ruffled the boy's hair. "Hey, kid."

"Guys! UncleBarrybroughtmeheretohangout!" Wally babbled almost unintelligibly, and Roy rolled his eyes. "Great. Another kid to add to the collection."

"Relax, Roy, we'll be here..." Green Arrow said, just as the alert went off.

"Terrorist situation in Star City. Looks like you'll need help, Flash." Batman said.

Green Arrow nodded. "Sorry, kid..."

"Sorry? What happened to we'll be here!?" Roy demanded, slightly panicked that Ollie was leaving him here with all these kids...

"Just use common sense, Roy. You're in charge." Ollie said, and Batman turned to his own children.

"Be good," he ordered.

They just smirked, making Roy's blood pressure rise higher, if that was possible.

"Um, I hate to butt in, but we have to go." Flash said. With that, they all rushed to the zeta tubes and were gone.

Roy walked over the computer. There had to be some leaguer here who could help him watch these kids... He checked the status. Everyone with either off-world or busy at the moment. Roy stared. "Really? Really, Ollie? I can barely take care of myself, let alone three kids..." he mumbled. He stood and felt Scarlet's small hand in his own and sighed, looking down at her and letting his face soften.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Roy asked, wondering how to occupy three small children.

"Hey look! A fly!" Wally, as ADD as ever, pointed to a fly that was buzzing by...

"How did a fly get up in the watchtower?" Roy asked.

"He probably flew into one of he zeta tubes. Let's get it!" Dick yelled. And with that, all three children were scampering after it.

"Well that was easy..." Roy muttered, following the children who were dashing after the fly.

"Kill it, kill it!" Wally sang as Scarlet dove for it but missed.

It landed on a counter and Dick tried to slap it, but it flew off before the could happen. Wally used his super speed to try and snatch it out of the air only to fair and run into a wall.

Scarlet grabbed a spray bottle, chasing it down but ultimately tripping, and Dick came up behind it with two pot lids, crashing them like cymbals but missing. Roy watched the scene unfold, smiling slightly.

"It's escaping the main room!" Dick yelled.

"I got this!" Wally yelled. They raced after the fly, trapping it in the kitchen. It landed on a cupboard and Wally missed it.

"Darn it!" he yelled. "I got it! I got it!" Dick flew forwards, but the fly got between his fingers and escaped. Roy sniggered. Watching this was like a real Tom and Jerry cartoon. They kept at it, until finally, the fly landed beside Roy on the burner of the stainless steel stove.

Roy turned the burner on high and the surface started to heat up, the lights under it going red to show it was getting hotter...

"Wow..." The kids had gathered round by now, and the fly had not idea what hit it before it shriveled into a dry, charred ball on the burner and disintegrated.

"Cool!" Dick high-fived Wally, and they grinned at Roy. "Good idea, man."

Roy shrugged, but it felt good to have helped them...

"So, what do we do now, Roy?" Scarlet asked, looking expectant.

Roy looked at the clock, realizing they'd spent a half an hour chasing a fly...

"Why don't you go find me some marbles?" Roy asked, figuring they'd never find any.

"Sure Roy! Let's go!" Scarlet turned, dashing down the hall with Wally and Dick behind her. Roy smiled, feeling slightly guilty for tricking them that way, but it would keep them busy and out of trouble...

"You sure Superman has marbles, Dick?" Wally asked as Dick hacked into the door control of Superman's room. He didn't know the access code, but Batman had been teaching him to hack...

"Superman has all kinds of toys in here." Dick said, and the door slid open.

"Wow..." Wally and Dick looked around Superman's room, surprised. He had pictures of his family up on the wall and a Superman poster or two, as well as action figures of every hero in the justice league...

"He keeps his toys in the top drawer, I think." Dick said, and he and Wally were so busy trying to find marbles they didn't notice Scarlet, who'd found a dark green velvet pouch on the dresser, and opened it on the floor. Colorful marbles spilled out, and Roy started down the hallway, wondering where the kids were...

Scarlet selected a blue marble that looked like a gumball and popped it into her mouth...

Roy stared. Had Scarlet really just put a marble into her mouth? "Scarlet! Spit that out!" he yelled, but he startled her and she swallowed...

"Scarlet?" Dick and Wally turned to see Roy grab Scarlet.

"No... tell me you didn't eat it!" Roy pleaded.

Wally and Dick put two and two together and gasped.

"Scarlet! How many times have I told you not to eat things that are not foods!" Dick said.

Roy paled. "Bats is gonna kill me..."

"I thought they were candy." Scarlet squeaked, looking scared.

"What did it taste like?" Wally asked, curious.

"Not now Wally! She could die!" Roy yelled, panicking.

"I don't wanna die!" Scarlet said, starting to cry.

"I don't want you to die either..." Dick said, getting teary eyed. "Stop dying!" Wally yelled. In an instantly all three children were crying...

"Stop crying!" Roy ordered, trying to calm them down. He wasn't calm, either, but all the crying wasn't helping him think... "No one is going to die!"

They all looked up at him, sniffling. "Really?"

"Yeah, really..." Roy lied. "Everyone wait in the main room..." he said, and they all ran out, Roy quickly doing the only thing he could think of- googling the situation.

He read all he reports and relaxed. "Alright, alright, no one is going to die. You should crap it out eventually. New rule. No one eats anything without asking first." Roy said, calming down.

"Alright. We should probably go pick up the rest of Superman's marbles..."

Roy paled again. "Superman? Those were Superman's marbles?" he asked.

Dick nodded. "We knew he had marbles, so we hacked into the computer to let us into his room..."

"You hacked!?" Roy said.

"Yeah..." Dick said, looking undisturbed.

"Well what if Superman notices one of his marbles are missing!? Change into your civilian clothes, we have to go somewhere." Roy said decidedly.

Five minutes later they zetaed to Star City, walking towards the Star City Mall. Thankfully it was on the other end of town than the terrorist situation was located, so they didn't have to worry about their mentors...

"Look! A kitten!" Scarlet said, pointing in the pet shop window.

"We're not here for pets, Scarlet." Roy said, leading her away. "We're here for marbles."

"Right." Scarlet nodded, trying to look serious, and Dick took her hand.

"I want everyone to stay together..." Roy ordered as they headed towards the toy store.

"The toy store!" Wally yelled and pointed, and all the kids took off running. Roy stared. He'd just managed to loose three sidekicks in less than one minute, That had to be a new record.

"Wally! Scarlet! Dick! Where are you?" he asked, desperate. He noticed a bag of marbles and grabbed them, looking around nervously for the kids. He noticed Scarlet had climbed on top of one of the large shelves and fallen asleep, and he smiled slightly. She looked like an angel while she was asleep... Roy carefully climbed up, despite the looks a mom with a child eager to try and do the same thing he was gave him, and carried Scarlet down. She was still asleep, thumb in her mouth, looking so cute...

"One down, two to go." Roy thought, satisfied. He found Dick and Wally playing with the action figures. "Time to go you two." Roy ordered.

"Aww, but we just got here, Roy." Wally whined.

"I know. We're leaving before you can cause anymore damage." Roy said simply, paying for the marbles before heading back towards the zeta tube station. Just then a man emerged from the shadows of the alley, smiling at them.

"Kid's shouldn't be out this late, you know." he said, and Roy say the glint of a knife in his hand. He felt his rage bubble over. He could take being threatened personally, but when someone dared to threaten Wally, Dick and Scarlet, that was over the line.

In one swift move Roy handed Scarlet to Dick, ducking the man's knife and giving him a good uppercut to the jaw, grabbing his wrist and squeezing until he dropped the knife, clocking him again on the face before slamming him into the wall and letting him slump to being unconscious.

"Do not mess with my family." Roy hissed, before he dusted himself off. He turned t see Scarlet, Dick, and Wally all staring at him, wide eyed.

Roy looked at his watch. Eight at night already, They had to get back to the watchtower, now.

"Come on, you guys." he motioned to them, and they all squeezed into the phone booth and zetaed back to the watch tower.

As soon as they were there, Roy had them all sit on the couch in the main room. "Wally, Scarlet, you two stay put Dick, I need you to hack into Superman's room again." Roy ordered. He then inserted the blue marble back into Superman's pouch and placed it on the dresser before he had Dick shut the door.

"Alright, one problem solved." Roy said, sighing in relief.

"Roy, I'm hungry." Dick said, and Roy realized it had been two hours since their mentors left them. He also realized he was hungry, too.

"What do you guys want to eat?" Roy asked Scarlet and Wally, who were, surprisingly, still sitting on the couch where he'd left them.

Scarlet thought for a minute. "Grilled cheese!" she said, grinning.

"Yeah, grilled cheese!" Wally and Dick agreed.

Roy smiled slightly. "Grilled cheese it is. How many sandwiches each?"

"One," Scarlet said. "Two." Dick said.

"Seven." Wally said, and Roy stared.

"He's got a fast meta-metab-meta-metabolif-metabolifm..." Scarlet said, botching the word because of her tiredness.

"I get it kid, don't hurt yourself." Roy said, seeing the obvious difficulty she was having with the word.

Roy gave Wally the first sandwich, since he had a fast metabolism, and Scarlet the next, since Dick seemed to be the most patient of the three. The fourth sandwich ignited as Roy was busy pouring chocolate milk while it was cooking, and he panicked.

"Someone get the fire extinguisher!" Roy yelled, holding the flaming frying pan.

"I got it!" Wally yelled, using his speed but forgetting to stop and running into the wall.

Luckily there was an airlock in the kitchen.

"Everyone hold onto something!" Dick yelled, hitting the button. The flaming mass that had once been a grilled cheese was sucked out into space, and the four children all clung desperately to something. Dick slammed the button again and the airlock closed.

Dick grinned. "No oxygen in space. No oxygen means no fire."

"Nice. Try something a little less dangerous next time, though." Roy said, smoothing his now messy hair back and getting to work making more grilled cheese.

"Can we watch TV?" Scarlet asked, looking too adorable to refuse as Roy made himself a few grilled cheeses.

"Sure. Oh, and Dick, I need you to hack into the league systems again, delete all the security cam footage of what we did today." Roy said as he followed them into the main room and flopped on the couch.

"Already done." Dick said, grinning. Bit he'd saved one copy of the footage for himself, since he had a feeling they'd laugh about this someday.

The leaguers got back at one am, all anxious as to how there proteges had fared. The situation in Star had been a hard fought battle, and had taken even longer to clean up... Leaving Roy with small children for one hour during the daytime was alright, maybe, but leaving him with three small children for six hours during the night was another thing completely.

"Roy?" Ollie called, anxious, though he'd never admit it.

"Found them." Flash called, and Batman and Green Arrow raced int the main room to find all four children curled up on the couch, in front of the TV, which was still on, playing an infomercial about the Shark team mop... Scarlet had crawled onto Roy' lap, and the normally tough redhead looked considerably less hard-core with a six year old in his arms. Dick was leaning against Roy from one side, and Wally from the other...

"They look so precious..." Flash whispered, pulling out a camera and snapping a picture.

Batman simply grunted, not wanting to agree but fighting off a smile at the concentrated adorableness before him.

"See, I told you they'd be fine. Roy even made dinner." Green Arrow said, pointing to the bread crusts and plates strewn across the floor.

"I guess we've found some people Roy actually likes, then." Flash said. "Good to know he's trustworthy..."

And that first time all together was the first of many incidents.


	18. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random drable about Bruce taking the kids shopping, hardcore single-dadding it.

"Dad, can I get a candy bar please?" Sparrow asked, holding it up.

Bruce studied her. It wasn't often that he went shopping, (the only reason he was doing it today was because Alfred had the week off), much less with his kids, but he also knew chocolate and Sparrow didn't mix well...

"Sorry Sparrow, but no. I don't want you to spoil dinner. Understand?"

Sparrow nodded. "Yeah, I guess..." still, she looked a little disappointed as she set it back on the shelf.

"No! No! No! I waaaannnntttt it!" the girl in line ahead of them exploded, wailing and kicking and screaming, fists pounding whatever they could. The outburst startled Sparrow, and she reacted, clinging to Bruce's leg and climbing up him until she clung to his side like a baby koala bear...

"Why is she doing that?" Sparrow whispered to Bruce, plugging her ears and looking frightened.

"To try and get what she wants..." Bruce explained, holding his baby bird as she stared.

"Is anything really worth embarrassing yourself like that?" Sparrow whispered, still watching as the mother tried desperately to calm the screaming child and the man running the check out grit his teeth and bared it.

"No, not really." Bruce said, starting to loading the items onto the conveyor belt as he smiled slightly, realizing what a well mannered girl he had...

The girl ahead of them kept wailing and Sparrow looked at Bruce imploringly, before sighing, realizing they couldn't leave with so many people behind them, and settling to nestling her head between Bruce's neck and shoulder. Bruce repressed the urge to sigh. The mom ahead of them was vainly trying to silence the child with empty threats, and the girl had moved from throwing herself around to throwing candy bars...

"What a waste of candy bars." Scarlet whispered in his ear. It took all of Bruce's Bat training not to laugh right there. Because Scarlet was so right- it was an awful waist of candy.

"I waaannntttt it!" the girl shrieked, stamping her foot and throwing another candy bar that almost hit Sparrow. The girl ducked at the last moment to avoid taking the crunch bar to the face and resumed burying her face in Bruce's shoulder.

The girl let out the scream of a banshee, and everyone in the store winced. Bruce just sighed, feeling Scarlet tense in his arms. It was funny, how a girl who'd lived most of her life in a circus had better manners than most kids with a steady home...

Finally, the mom finished checking out, dragging her screeching child to the door and leaving a rather relieved supermarket behind them.

Sometimes, Bruce realized, he forgot just how good he had it with Dick and Scarlet.

"Bruce, I got the milk." Dick trotted over with the milk. Bruce had remembered it at the last minute and sent Dick to go and get it.

Dick noted his sister clinging to Bruce and his brow creased.

"What'd I miss?"

"Nothing, Dick, nothing." Bruce assured him. Sparrow climbed onto Bruce's shoulder, perching agilely like a bird before jumping onto Dick, sliding down, hands around his neck. Dick rolled his eyes, grabbing a hold of his sisters legs and carrying her piggy-back as the clerk and the others in line watched, slightly surprised...

Bruce rolled his eyes. He'd grown used to the children's antics and long since realized that just because they left the circus, didn't mean they stopped performing. Bruce left the supermarket with them that day remembering just how lucky he was to have the kids he did. Sure, they were somewhat crazy and hyper-active, making half the parents at the playground want to kill them because of the stunts they did in front of the other, impressionable children, but so what? It was times like these that made up for that. They were Graysons, and he wouldn't have it any other way.


	19. It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's happened to the kids.

"Wally!" Scarlet jumped into the speedster's arms and grinned, and Wally did, as well.

"Hi Wally." Dick grinned, glad to see his friend again.

"Hey? No hug for me?" Roy asked, stepping out from the shadows.

"Roy!" Scarlet jumped down from Wally and raced over to her oldest brother, jumping into his arms.

"Who still gives the best hugs in the world?" Roy asked.

"Roy does!" Scarlet grinned, and Roy ruffled her hair.

"That's right. Good to see you, kid." he grinned. With the leaguers here, there'd be no way things could go bad like last time...

"Dick, Scarlet." Batman called quickly. Both children trotted over to their father.

"I have an important meeting, alright. I want you to stay with Roy. Understood?"

"Yes, Tati." Scarlet gave her father a quick peck on the cowl, and Dick hugged his father briefly before he stood to go. As soon as he was gone, they trotted back over to Roy.

"Now, what do you guys want to do?" Roy asked, looking around.

"Let's explore!" Wally stared, and Dick nodded. "Sounds good. Even we don't know all of this place!"

And so it was settled. They explored the ventilation shafts, the game room, the offices, even the control room, where Green Lantern showed them everything, before heading off to explore all the winding corridors...

When they were quite into a game of tag, Scarlet staggered, looking pale.

"R-roy..." she stuttered, looking troubled.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked, instantly seeing something was bothering the little girl...

"I-I don't feel good..." she said, clutching her stomach. Roy, when he'd lived on the Indian reservation, had seen lots of kids get sick and knew what was going to happen before it did, grabbing the trash can and gently nudging it under her as she gagged a few times before starting to retch...

"It's alright, birdie, just let it come..." Roy soothed, guiding her to the bathroom and ditching the trash can for the tolite. He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she continued to retch, puking her guts out...

"I... want Tati..." she choked between fits of vomiting, and Roy nodded to Kid Flash, who stood in the doorway with Dick, unsure what to do. "Get Batman." he ordered, turning back to Scarlet.

"It's alright, birdie, it'll all be over soon..." Roy soothed the girl, and she finally stopped, still kneeling in front of the tolite, sweating and shuddering. "Dick, wet cloth." Roy ordered, allowing the girl to lean against him as he took the cool cloth and dabbed at her face...

"That's it... feel any better?" he asked hopefully.

She shook her head. "Worse. R-roy- I w-want Tati..." the girl dissolved into tears , and Roy nodded. "Don't worry, birdie, he'll be here any minute..."

He just hoped she'd be alright...

Batman had been in the meeting for around two hours when there was a knock on the door.

"We're in a meeting!" Superman called, ever polite.

"It's an emergency!" everyone recognized Wally's nervous voice and the speedster let himself in, looking more than a little scared.

He was pale as a ghost, a bit of sweat on his face...

"Wally, what happened?" Flash ran to his nephew.

"Scarlet's really sick! Roy and Dick are with her, but she keeps throwing up and she looks really sick..." suddenly Wally's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. Flash caught him before he hit the floor, staring at his form. "Wally!" he cried, shocked.

"Get him to the med bay." Superman said, and Flash obeyed. Green Arrow and Batman had run out before Wally's collapse, desperate to find the others, and they tore down the hallway, Batman following a small blip on his communicator.

"East wing." he said, turning with Green Arrow. They had no idea what was going on, but something deep within them told them it was bad...

They grew closer, and heard the sounds of crying mixed with retching. "Shh, it'll be alright, birdie..." Roy soothed. They opened the door to see Scarlet kneeling in front of the tolite, puking her guts out, and Roy rubbing her back as she shuddered and cried...

Roy gave them a desperate look, and Batman stepped forward. "Scarlet..." his voice showed his concern.

"Dad! Dad, make it stop..." Scarlet pleaded, turning back to vomit more. "It... it hurts..."

"What hurts?" Batman scooped the small girl up, holding the trash can in front of her.

"M-my stomach..." Batman could feel the heat radiating off the small form and stared, starting to walk briskly towards the med bay with Scarlet in his arms. By the time they'd reached it she'd passed out, and Wonder Woman, Hawkman, and Green Lantern stared.

"I need help with her, now." Batman ordered, starting an IV and checking her temperature. 103. She shivered and whimpered from her position, lying on the bed unconscious...

Flash, Superman, and Zatarra didn't look up from Wally.

"D-dad..." Dick staggered into the room, looking awful, and Batman caught his son as he collapsed, staring. Not Dick, too...

"Relax, Dick. You'll be alright." he assured his son, and Dick quickly dozed off on a bed as well...

* * *

 

"What happened?" Oliver asked as a very shaken looking Roy walked with him towards the med bay.

"I... I don't know, Ollie." Roy admitted. "We were exploring the tower, and then, Scarlet just said she felt sick and... it happened. I didn't know what to do so I sent Wally for help..."

"It's alright, Roy. We're just trying to figure out what happened, is all..."

Roy nodded, feeling kind of dizzy but brushing it off. The league needed his help, now...

Roy's eyes widened when he saw all three of his friends- no, his siblings- on beds in the med bay, unconscious or asleep...

"There are too many coincidences." Batman said, shaking his head. "All three of them just come down with something at the same time? Unlikely..."

"It could just be a stomach virus..." Hal suggested.

"No, it isn't. Scarlet and Dick have a genetic mutation, Delta 42, that's common in Europe. It makes them immune to most viruses." Batman said firmly.

"Then what is it? What's wrong with them?" Roy asked, looking at his siblings nervously. "They'll be alright, won't they?" Everyone saw Roy was looking shaky and scared, but in reality, he was having trouble standing...

Suddenly he ran over to the trash can and started to puke, gasping for breath.

"O-ollie..." he rasped, suddenly scared.

"Roy! Just relax, buddy..." Oliver looked, for once, scared as he rubbed his protege's back.

"Ollie- s-something's wrong..." Roy panted. "I- this isn't normal... help me, Ollie..." he pleaded, and everyone stared.

"Roy- relax- we're going to figure out what's wrong with you, I promise..." Oliver said, and Roy nodded, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he was unconscious.

"That isn't normal. Something happened to them..." Batman said, helping Oliver carry his protege to an empty bed.

"I've already decided to put the tower on quarantine until we figure out what happened. It's clear something caused this to happen to them- and we need to find out what. Fast." Superman said, motioning to the four sick kids before them.

"Maybe they got into something, chemicals, maybe..." Hawkman suggested.

"They didn't." Oliver said, looking concerned and desperate. "Roy was with them the whole time and would've had the sense to stop them..."

"Uncle Barry!" Wally sat bolt upright, chest heaving, and started to vomit as well, until he finally passed out again...

"They're all running fevers." Dinana pointed out. "They could had contracted some intense disease..."

"Like food poisoning?" Hal asked.

"Good chance of it, especially since they're almost all vomiting..." Superman said, and everyone turned to Batman, who nodded.

"It could fit the bill..." he said calmly.

"Let's try and figure out what they've eaten in the past twenty four hours..." Flash suggested, starting to make a list. They spent an hour reconstructing lists of everything the children had consumed within the past day, but nothing matched...

"This is useless. It definitely isn't food poisoning..." Batman said grimly. They all looked over at the four deathly still bodies that laid in the cots.

"Then, what is it?" Diana asked.

The silence they were met with was their worst nightmare- it confirmed they didn't know.


	20. Radiation Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mentors come one step closer in finding out what's wrong with the kids.

"I managed to check the blood samples... there's a drop on blood cells." Flash said. They'd spent over three hours struggling to think about a cause...

"A drop?" Superman asked, looking shocked. "But if it were a virus or bacteria, there'd be an increase in cells, right?"

"Which means it probably isn't a virus." Flash confirmed, looking grim. "The downside to this is that they're lacking platelets, meaning if they bleed, it probably won't clot..."

"Meaning they're losing against this thing, whatever it is." Batman said, feeling dread well up in him.

"Yes. I hate to say it, but whatever is causing this isn't showing up in their bodies. No viruses or bacteria, but the fevers and dehydration very well could kill them if we don't find the cause and stop it." Flash sighed. "Meaning, if we don't stop this soon, they'll die."

"But what is causing it!?" Superman punched the wall, frustrated. "No virus, no bacteria, what is it!?"

"Kal, calm down..." Wonder Woman said, using his Kryptonian name. The man of steel rarely got frustrated, but now he definitely was...

"Don't tell me to calm down, Diana! Children are dying! What did they do to deserve this!?"

"Wait!" Batman stood, suddenly having an idea. "That's it. Poison."

"They didn't get into anything, though..." Oliver said, looking confused.

"No. But maybe something got into them." Batman was already running scans on his wrist computer...

"You mean someone intentionally poisoned them?" Hal asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Batman said, nodding. "The scans will take an hour to complete, but then we might be able to figure out what the substance was..."

"When I find out who, they'll regret it..." Superman said, glancing down at the children who were all struggling against their rising temperatures and illness.

"What about Mezzo?" Diana asked, and everyone looked up. "You mean that old medical android we powered down years ago?" Batman asked.

Hal nodded. "Theoretically, it could be remotely hacked..."

Batman swore under his breath, heading to the back room. Were he in charge, he'd have had the droid disassembled long ago... He pulled it out of storage, checking the use log. Nothing. He checked the deleted history, accessing into the system files, and it was there... Ten hours prior, the droid had been up into the East Wing, where the children had been found...It'd now been six hours the children were sick, and Batman strode into the room.

"East Wing. Now." he ordered. Everyone nodded they left Flash on duty with the children, heading to the room where they'd been found...

"We have record of the droid being controlled to enter here ten hours prior. Whatever it was that infected them made contact with them here." Batman said simply. "We figure out what it is, now."

They searched the room for ten minutes, then fifteen... "I feel the effects of it already." Batman said. Hal nodded. "Feeling kinda dizzy..." he admitted.

"Radiation..." Superman gasped.

"What?" Diana asked, looking equally as shocked.

"Kryptonians run on sun and radiation. I feel significantly stronger now... whatever it is is emitting high radiation... I can hear it."

"Hear what?" Hawkman asked, holding his head.

"A high frequency, too high to be heard by humans. The higher the frequency of a radio wave, the more radiation emitted..." The man of steel pulled up a floor board to reveal several hundred radio transmitters, the size of a fingernail, all emitting the high frequency wave...

"We need to know how long they were playing here for." Superman ordered, as he started to crush each tiny transmitter. Batman nodded. "I'll check the cameras and inform Flash." all the humans bailed out of the room, away from the radiation, until Superman finished destroying the transmitters...

Batman stared. "They were exposed for an hour and a half." he said calmly. "All of them. The reasons we didn't feel the effects was because the radiation reaching out from their to the whole base was minimal, thanks to the thick walls... but the kids felt the effects sooner since they're smaller."

Flash nodded. "So we treat the radiation sickness as best we can. Superman estimates they were exposed to around 4 gyus each, if it'd gone any higher, it might've killed them." he explained. "It'll help that the source is destroyed now..."

* * *

 

"B-batman!" they heard the hoarse cry and found Dick, vomiting into a bed pan. He looked haggard, exhausted, and were all deteriorating fast.

"Bruce- p-please, help..." he begged, and Batman recovered himself, hurrying forward to soothe the boy through the vomiting fit.

"It's alright, Dick. You have radiation sickness, but you'll be fine..." inside, though, he was feeling worse than ever as he watched his son vomit, gasping and struggling, in so much pain he could barely breathe.

"M-make it stop- please..." Dick pleaded.

Batman nodded calmly, injecting the boy with as much painkiller as he dared. "Trust me, Dick, you'll feel better soon." He promised, brushing the matter, sweat covered mop of raven hair from the boy's eyes. Dick simply closed his eyes and drifted off...

As soon as he did, Scarlet sat up and retched, puking into her own bed pan, and Batman rushed to soothe his other child and stopped dead. She wasn't just vomiting, she was vomiting blood.

"T-tati... what's wrong... w-with me?" she pleaded, looking scared as tears cascaded down her face, mixing with the blood.

Batman didn't dare tell her the truth. "Just sick, Scarlet. Trust me, it will stop soon..." she was so exhausted she didn't notice the needle slipping under her skin, injecting her with a bit more painkiller. Still, he didn't dare give her too much of anything while she was in such a bad way...

"T-tati- l-let me die. Please. I-I saw mamica, she's so pretty..." her eyes fluttered closed as she spoke, and Bruce stared. He knew they were all in pain, but for Scarlet to be vomiting blood and on death's door? No, he'd never let her go. He knew John and Mary would never want him to just let her slip away like this.

"Keep fighting for me, please." Batman pleaded, feeling wetness trailing down his cowl but not caring as he sat down between his two children's beds, taking each small hand in his own and preparing for a long vigil.

* * *

 

"U-uncle Barry!" Wally cried, frantic.

"Wally..." Barry raced over to his nephew, and Wally curled up into a ball, sobbing. "It hurts, Uncle Barry, it hurts... I want my mom!"

"I know, kid, but she could get sick too if you were near her..." Barry said, trying to explain the situation to his nephew without telling him how bad everything really was.

"I... I want my mom..." Wally sobbed, not caring how babyish it sounded coming from the mouth of a ten year old. His stomach HURT, and he wanted his mother to hold him and stroke his hair and soothe him like she always did... He cried himself to sleep quietly and quickly, with the help of the sedative Barry injected into him. He leaned his own forehead against his nephew's sweaty, warm one.

"Hang on for me Wally, just hang on..." he said, feeling tearful himself. He tucked the blankets around the boy more snugly, hoping soon the symptoms would lessen...

* * *

 

"Mmmmmm..." Roy woke up feeling incredibly sick, and barely had time to dart forward before the contents of his stomach spilled out into the bedpan that was sitting beside his bed.

He heaved, feeling a cold sweat trickle down his back... the last thing he remembered was Ollie's face...

"Hey Roy..." Roy didn't bother to turn, he was too busy feeling his stomach clench and unclench painfully as he retched... He felt the warm hand rubbing soothing circles on his back and relaxed, leaning into the warm embrace slightly.

"O-ollie..." he managed to choke out between retches. "D-dad..." he managed, finally, between coughing up bile. "W-what happened?"

Oliver's eyes lit up slightly, but he made sure not to let it show. Roy had never before called him Dad, and he only wished the first time wasn't under such circumstances.

"Radiation sickness, buddy. We took care of it..."

Roy nodded, clutching his stomach and feeling the intense pain of muscles that had just recently rebelled against themselves in expelling everything they possibly could... He could handle pain, but he allowed a low moan to escape him.

Oliver's face creased with worry.

"D-dad..." Roy stuttered, and Oliver quickly held the bed pan under his son's chin and allowed the boy to dry heave, every now and then a small amount of bile escaping his mouth and dribbling into the pan.

"Shh, Roy, shh..." Ollie soothed the boy who he'd always thought of as his son, rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back as his stomach continued to rebel. Finally, Roy finished vomiting, and just sat there, struggling to catch his breath and wincing as he clutched his painful stomach...

"H-how are the others? Mmmmm..." Roy groaned as his stomach muscles clenched again.

"You'll all be fine." Oliver lied. Because they might not be fine, but Roy didn't need to know that. It already hurt him to see his boy in so much pain...

He reached out to stroke Roy's hair and the boys leaned into his touch, eyes closed, taking slow, measured breaths.

"O-ollie... it hurts..." Roy whimpered as a stabbing pain his him stomach and he gasped, suddenly feeling dizzy...

"I know, Roy, I know..." Oliver opened his arms and Roy leaned against him, moaning again as he leaned against his father's strong chest, shuddering and breaking out in a cold sweat...

"What you need is rest, buddy. Just focus on rest..." Oliver said, holding his son close to him. Roy nuzzled into him, relaxing even more despite his pain... "You're warm..." he murmured, before he slipped off to sleep.

Despite the feverish heat coming off the boy, Roy was still shivering, and Oliver grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around his son until his shivering lessened considerably. "That's it, Roy, just rest..." Oliver soothed him, hoping soon it would stop...

* * *

 

"They're still fighting." Diana said, looking at the three downcast, desperate mentors. "Bring me the android." Batman ordered. He started tracking the signal of where the robot had been controlled from.

"I found out where the signal came from." he said, showing it to Superman, who looked incredibly angry. "What kind of sick person would do this to children?"

"I don't think the children were the intended targets. We were." Batman said calmly. "The children just got in the way and were hurt first, since they're smaller..."

"But who would do this?" Wonder Woman asked. "They'd have to know about the watchtower..."

"Peter Fletcher." Superman said suddenly. "The scientist we brought up here once. He started making weapons of mass destruction and we broke off with him, but he never forgave us..."

Batman nodded. "A likely suspect. I swear, if any of them din't make it, I'll..."

"No. I take care of this." Superman growled in a Batman like fashion that made everyone stare.

"He hurt innocent children, whether he meant to or not, and he's going to deal with the consequences." he stalled out of the room, leaving everyone to ponder what the man of steel had just said.

* * *

 

Superman was beyond angry. He was PISSED OFF. He'd seen children he loved like his niece and nephews vomiting blood and crying, asking to die… He descended through the atmosphere, towards the coordinates Batman had given him. It was a cabin in the Yukon, and he touched down, not even feeling the chill of the snow around him…. His blood was literally boiling with rage….

He peered in the window to see Fletcher, a short twenty eight year old genius with black hair and deep brown eyes, sitting at a beat up armchair, no doubt designing more weapons as he worked on his laptop. He was wanted by the US, Canadian, and Mexican government for selling weapons to their mobs, and it had been rumored he'd even hooked up with the Red Claw terrorist group (from batman the animated series, Google red claw). For a time. He didn't care about the people he hurt- only sold to who paid the most. After the justice League had exposed him and tried to hunt him, down, he'd developed a deep hatred for them….

He kicked in the door, and it slammed into the opposite wall of the cabin with a thud. Fletcher looked up, surprised, before smiling. "Ah, Superman. Tell me- did the Justice League loose anyone yet?"

"You've gone too far, Fletcher." He said, so angry….

Fletcher's smile widened. "Why? What happened? Did Batman die? I always hated him…."

Superman took a menacing step forwards and Fletcher grinned. "Awww. Is the boy scout going to take me to prison?"

"Who said anything about prison, Fletcher? You hurt innocent children- I just saw a six year old begging to die thanks to you. You don't deserve prison." He took another step forward and Fletcher's eyes widened.

Of course, Superman wasn't planning on killing him- he never killed. But that didn't mean that heads wouldn't roll for this….

Fletcher stood, still clutching his computer and backing up. "Now Superman… I… I didn't mean to get the sidekicks…."

"But you did. And now you'll pay for it." Superman took another step forwards and Fletcher another back, tripping on the rug and falling backwards, managing to squirm backwards until his back was against the wall.

"Superman… I… you wouldn't really kill me…." Fletcher laughed nervously, fear showing in his eyes.

"Try me." Superman lunged forward, seizing the man buy the collar and dragging him outside. He pushed off the ground with tremendous force before flying into the air. Fletcher yelled as Superman flew low over the trees, so low the tips of the man's toes almost hit the branches…. He pulled straight up, until the air started to thin, before dropping Fletcher. The force of everything would've impaled him on the branches, but at the last second, Superman caught him and headed out over the ocean, dropping him again….

Fletcher screamed and thrashed, but Superman caught him right before he hit the water, trailing his toes in the icy spray until he finally passed out from fear.

He dropped Fletcher off at the Metropolis Police station- they'd no doubt identify him and take care of things- before flying back to the Watchtower.

"It's finished." He announced, entering the room.

Batman grinned. "She's stable." He announced, and Scarlet looked up warily from where she was nestled into Batman's arms.

"W-where'd you go, Uncle Clark?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"I just had to beat someone up." Superman said, and Dick gaped. "You can do that?" he asked, looking shocked. He'd known that being a superhero meant you were special, but he'd had no idea that you were allowed to do that.

Everyone laughed at the pure awe on the boy's face

Superman smiled. "Yes. Sometimes I can."


	21. Bat-parenting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are better, and we get a small glimpse into the parenting methods and daily life of Batman.

"I can tell you're feeling better." Oliver grinned as Roy dug into his lunch- Roy was, in truth, already big, but it was clear he was having another growth spurt, despite his recent illness, by the way he ate.

"Sorry-" Roy muttered around a mouthful of food. "just hungry, I guess..."

"It's just good to see you eating, We almost lost you guys..." Oliver said.

"Hey- where's Scarlet?" Wally looked up from his third plate of food. Dick was asleep, since he'd woken to eat earlier, and Oliver looked up, snapping to attention when he saw the empty bed next to the boy wonder.

"Oh crap. Bats left me in charge, when he finds out I lost her..."

"You're dead." Roy finished for him.

"Thanks for the confidence, Roy." Oliver ran a nervous hand through his hair and started to pace. "He's going to kill me..."

A giggle echoed throughout the room and Oliver crouched down, seeing the littlest bird had flattened herself out on the floor under Roy's bed and was currently staring at him with those cute baby blues...

"Hey Roy, there's a little monster under your bed..." Oliver said, smiling as she giggled again.

"Is there, now?" Roy asked, playing along. "Maybe you should tickle it..."

"First I'll catch it!" Oliver pulled her out from under the bed and she squealed in delight as the archer hefted her into his arms, before starting to tickle her madly...

The ringing giggles, so like the peel of tiny, magical silver bells, filled the room, and everyone found themselves smiling. Dick woke up and grinned slightly, glad to see his sister looking so happy...

Finally, Oliver quit tickling her and she caught her breath. Oliver found it both adorable and endearing- the kid fought crime on a daily basis but was ticklish.

"Hi uncle Ollie." she grinned, cocking her head curiously at him. "I'm kinda bored."

"Bored?" Oliver asked, and she nodded. "Like a piece of wood."

Oliver chuckled at her cuteness. "You're bored, huh?" she nodded seriously.

"Alright, who feels up to playing a game?" Oliver asked, setting Scarlet down and looking over at the children.

"I do!" Dick said, grinning slightly.

"Me too!" Wally announced.

"Please, Roy?" Scarlet asked, tugging on the older boy's blankets.

"When I'm done eating." Roy promised, mouth still full off food.

"Alright, what do you guys want to play? You're not officially out of the med bay yet, so it has to be pretty simple..."

"Hide and seek?" Scarlet asked hopefully.

"I like hide and seek." Wally agreed.

"Alright- let's play. Not it!" Dick yelled.

"Not it!" Scarlet cried.

"Not it!" Both Roy and Wally yelled in unison, and all eyes fell on Oliver.

"Looks like you're the seeker, Uncle Ollie." Dick said, and Oliver nodded.

"Alright, you guys get twenty five seconds to hide. One, two..."

There was the massive ruckus of feet running out of the room and down the hallways, and Oliver grinned- he'd find them all in no time if they kept making noise like this...

But by the time he'd reached twenty-five, it was dead silent in the cave, like it had been when they'd all been sick, and Oliver was slightly surprised...

"Ready or not, here I come!" he announced, stepping into the hallway. It was dead silent, and he realized this was going to be harder than he'd thought...

He searched all the obvious places, under the beds and tables, behind the chairs and even in the vents, thinking Scarlet and Dick might be there, but he found nothing...

Wally, the devious speedster that he was, was still hungry, and had managed to jam himself in the snack cupboard. He munched silently on a few gummy bears as he watched Oliver search the high and low cupboards through the gap between the doors... The cupboard was normally full, leaving n room to hide inside, but while they'd been sick the leaguers had been too busy to shop, so there was just enough room for the speedster to crawl in... Oliver, however, didn't know this, and didn't even consider the cupboard as a possible hiding place...

"I'm going to find you..." he called, hoping Scarlet's tell-tale giggling would give her away. No such luck. He sighed. Of course she wouldn't giggle. When it came down to it, she was a Bat, and Bats played for keeps...

"Aha!" Oliver wrenched open the janitor's closet door to be greeted by a bedraggled looking mop and broom, as well as several other cleaning products lining the shelf, a bucket, and some rags... His face fell, and his worry rose slightly- what if he couldn't find the kids?

He shut the door, and soon after is footsteps faded, the mop bucket and rags piled up started to move slightly, and Roy stuck his head out. He'd chosen the closet for two reasons; one, he knew the rags and bucket as well as low light would be easy to hide in; and two, he figured he might as well guard most of the cleaning products, since Scarlet and Dick were Bats, and might decide to mix some stuff together to make chloroform or something... Bats played to win.

"Guys? Where are you?" Oliver asked, voice bordering on dread now. He didn't want the leaguers to know he'd lost the kids, but they'd certainly noticed... He walked directly under the rafters in the main room, where Dick laid flat on top of the one rafter, on his stomach, cheek pressed against the cool metal, and grinned. Bats were made for hide and seek.

Finally, an hour later, their absence was noted. It might've been noteworthy Oliver had been yelling that he gave up and they'd won at twenty minutes, but none of the kids came out at his calls... darn Bats, always needed to prove a point!

"Queen- where are they?" Batman demanded, voice stone-cold.

Oliver chuckled nervously, running a nervous hand through his hair... Batman was flanked by Flash, Superman and Wonder Woman... Crap, this was bad...

"Funny thing about that..." he started.

"There isn't anything funny about it. Now where's Wally?" Flash asked.

"I... um... I kinda decided to play hide and seek with them... and they won..." Oliver said, sweating bullets.

"Did you tell them you gave up?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Yes! I've been yelling it, but they won't come out..." Oliver said, and Batman shook his head. "They've been trained not to come out when someone says they give up. I figured the Joker would play that card sooner or later..."

"This is just hide and seek!" Oliver said, practically tearing his hair out.

"Doesn't matter. Every situation presents some danger." Batman said simply

"So you lost the kids? Nice going, Oliver- and I thought I was irresponsible. They just got over radiation sickness, for pete's sake..." Flash said.

"Well sorry I'm not super nanny over here! You try and find your kid!" Oliver yelled.

Batman shot his grappling hook up at the rafters and came down a moment later holding a sleeping Dick.

"Found one." he said, looking down at his son before affectionately brushing the hair from the boy's face before setting him on the couch.

"He was ASLEEP up there!?" Oliver said, shocked.

Batman shot him a death glare when his outburst caused Dick to stir, but thankfully not wake, and Oliver decided if he wanted his head to stay on his shoulders he'd best shut up.

"I found Wally." Flash dragged his nephew out from the snack cupboard. The ten year old speedster had oreo cookie crumbs all around his mouth, and Flash grinned. "Always so resourceful..." he said, looking proud...

"Ollie- what the heck? How did you not find me? I've been in the janitor's closet for a friggin hour!" Roy said, looking grumpy as he entered the room.

"I was busy trying to find the other demons!" Oliver said, motioning to a sleeping Dick, who Batman had set on the couch with Wally.

Roy crossed his arms. "You have GOT to be kidding me."

"Where's Scarlet, then?" Wonder Woman asked, but Batman was already headed towards the hatch that led to the crawl space. He lifted it to find Scarlet, covered in the dust that had accumulated over the years but also sound asleep, and lifted her out.

"She was in the crawl-space?" Oliver asked, jaw practically hitting the floor.

Batman, once again, chose to ignore those whose intelligence he deemed inferior, instead allowing what looked to be a smile to ghost across his features as his gloved fingers combed through the raven hair, getting rid of the majority of the dust, before setting her on the couch as well.

"Savvano anikka, mi chirklos." (Sleep well, my birds.) he muttered, voice low enough so that no one else could make out what he was saying. Both children stirred in their sleep, recognizing their native tongue before they were al carried off to bed by their mentors.

"I am never playing hide and seek with the demons again." Oliver said, slightly angry.

He turned to go, a sleeping child slung over each shoulder as he disappeared down the hall, no doubt to take the kids to his room so he could keep an eye on them and get some work done.

Queen's mouth, which had been hanging open, snapped shut, and he frowned. "Can someone please tell me how the antisocial man who dresses as a bat is a better parent than us?"


	22. Pigeons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce's children never cease to amaze him.

"Where are we going?" Dick asked as they he headed down the sidewalk with Bruce.

"The park." Bruce said serenely. He smiled as Scarlet held his hand, skipping to keep up with his long strides. Scarlet instantly perked up. "You mean the playground?"

"No- the park. There's a nice path to walk and trees and benches and grass..."

"Sounds boring." Scarlet said, and Bruce chuckled. "I prefer to call it relaxing..."

"There it is!" Dick pointed, and they all looked to see the winding bright path by the green grass and old sycamore trees that stretched with shade, There was a fountain in the center, spitting water from the angel's mouth. Dick's eyes widened...

Bruce sat down on the bench to read the paper. "You two can go play." he said, and they both scampered off to play behind the bench on the grass...

He heard the giggling, and five minutes later a fat woman in a flowered dress stalked over, holding her equally fat son by his chubby arm.

"Are those your children?" she asked, pointing behind him.

Bruce turned to see Scarlet and Dick handing upside down from a fat sycamore branch, fifteen feet above the ground. What really surprised him was that there wasn't a single branch below the ones they were on, and he contemplated how they'd gotten up there, slightly amused.

He had to smile slightly, watching them giggle and play patty cake upside down before turning back around to face the angry tub of lard. "Yes, yes they are..."

"Well now MY son will try that stupid stunt and break his neck! What do you intend to do about it?"

In the back of his mind, he was thinking that the fat kid would never be about to even get into a tree to ATTEMPT the stunt, but of course he couldn't say that. He was actually annoyed- it wasn't his fault his children where awesome.

But he had to appease the angry fat lady, so he turned once again. "Dick, Scarlet, could you come down from there?" he asked. Both children swung up onto the branch before Dick did a double back flip down, Scarlet managing a single before they trotted over.

"Yeah Dad?"

"Try doing something less dangerous, alright?"

"That wasn't dangerous at all, Bruce..." Scarlet said, looking confused-Dick noticed the fat lady and quickly covered her mouth. The fat lady harrumphed and walked away, and they all looked relaxed slightly...

Dick released his hold on Scarlet's mouth, and she stared. "Did you see that fat lady? She was scarier than Scare Crow, I'll bet..." Scarlet said, since Batman still never let her tangle with the large villains. Bruce chuckled. "Not quite, Scarlet. Listen- let's try to avoid irritating people and stay out of the trees, alright?"

"Okay, Dad." and with that, they both scampered off once again. Bruce read literally twelve words before he heard a splash and looked up.

"Oops..." Dick said, blushing furiously and quickly scrambling out of the fountain- Bruce easily pieced together what had happened. They'd obviously been walking on the edge of the fountain, since Scarlet still stood there, when Dick had fallen in...

"Dick..." Bruce said, tone firm. Luckily no one had been around to see that... "Stop being so mischievous."

Dick grinned. "Come on, Bruce, live a little. I'm not being mischievous- you're just boring."

"Dick." Bruce said, a warning conveyed in his tone.

"Okay, okay, I get it- no more mischief." Dick said, sighing. But there was a twinkle in his eye as he retreated.

Bruce had settled into the silence of the morning, content knowing that his kids were sitting in the shade of the sycamore tree and NOT doing anything dangerous.

* * *

 

Pigeons landed a distance away, and Dick smiled, watching the dumb birds peck eagerly at the ground. They were only a few feet away from a bush, if only he could sneak behind it.

He ended up crawling across the ground on his stomach, inching around like a caterpillar, until he finally made his way behind the bush. He grinned evilly. His plan had been flawless- now for phase two.

* * *

 

He'd been reading the sports section when he heard the commotion, the flapping of wings and frantic coos of intellectually challenged pigeons.

He idly looked over his newspaper, expecting to see a dog or jogger had simply disturbed them. But when he saw the cause of the disturbance, his eyes widened and he dropped the paper, standing up and running.

"Dick!"

"I got it! I got it!" Dick chanted excitedly. He'd managed to seize a pigeon that wasn't fast enough by the wing, and was holding fast to it as it frantically flapped and kicked out.

"Let it go, Dick!"

Dick turned to see him, surprised. "But I just got it!"

The pigeon flailed frantically, its clawed feet finding purchase on Dick's forearm.

"Ow!"

Dick let go of the bird, which frantically thundered away, wincing as he saw the bloody scratches. It stung.

Bruce put his hands on the boy's shoulders, kneeling so he was level with the boy.

"Let me see, Dick."

Dick quietly showed him his arm- the scratches weren't deep, but they were bleeding, and Bruce mad his decision.

"Scarlet- come on- we're going home."

Scarlet looked up from where she'd been poking at things in the grass, oblivious to the incident that'd just occurred, and trotted alongside them towards the car.

They were strangely silent, Dick looking downcast even as Bruce cleaned and bandaged his arm at home.

Bruce was starting to get worried at the boy's silence when Dick spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, son?"

"Sorry for ruining your morning. I messed everything up. You said to stop messing around, but I didn't listen, and I messed everything up."

Bruce allowed a small smile to cross his face. "I'm not angry, son- and there's nothing to be sorry for. Just- be more careful, okay? What if the bird had attacked you? I'm not angry, just worried about you. Think things through a little more, alright?"

Dick allowed a wane smile to cross his face as well. "Alright."

"And if you're going to catch a bird next time- at least make sure it's a robin."


	23. Never Fall

Laughter once again echoed up and down the halls of the Watchtower, and Superman smiled as he watched Scarlet racing around, playing with some imaginary friends, Batman was in a meeting and Dick had homework to do at school. Everyone else was in a meeting, but Superman, thankfully, had just gotten back from a mission early, so he didn't have to attend... technically.

He watched from the shadows as she giggled. She was only six, she was still young, and he watched, smiling at the innocence she had as she played with the imaginary things. She was young enough to play pretend still, but old enough to work with others...

She was cute too, incredibly cute. Superman was glad he was her surrogate uncle.

She turned around, catching sight of Superman. Her eyes lit up even more and she ran to him. "Uncle Clark!" she squealed in delight and Superman caught her, bending slightly so he could, grinning. All the fatigue from the off-world diplomatic mission was gone, which was saying something. Two weeks being surrounded by political parties that would never agree on a civil war-torn planet ruled by bureaucracy was depressing, but this girl was like an angle- she could lift anyone's spirits.

Superman swung her around slightly before setting her down. "I missed you!" she said, grinning at him.

"I missed you too, Scarlet..." He said, ruffling her hair.

"Did you see any aliens?" she asked hopefully, blue eyes alight with wonder.

"Lots, Scarlet." Superman chuckled. "But they weren't very friendly..."

"Did you beat them up?" she asked hopefully.

"Sort of..." he'd been acting as security while a peace treaty was being signed, but terrorists had made sure it hadn't happened... Still, all his anger and regret had melted away...

"I saved you gummy bears." Scarlet said, pulling out the bag from a pocket in her cape and handing them to him.

"Thanks..." Superman smiled warmly, taking the bag from her and sliding it into his own pocket. She was the only one who knew how much he liked gummy bears...

"Uncle Clark..."

"Yes, Scarlet...?" Superman could see something flickering in her eyes- hope and excitement, possibly...

"Could you fly me?" she asked hopefully.

Superman chuckled. "Sure, Scarlet." instantly she'd scrambled over and was holding her arms up, and Superman picked her up, holding her so she held onto him like a little koala bear...

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded eagerly, and Superman's feet left the floor... He watched her eyes, happy to see they were dancing as they hovered above the ground, about thirty feet above the up the large hall...

Scarlet grinned. She could stay like this forever, in the air, flying, nothing holding her but Superman... It was so like she felt when she was on the trapeze, but Superman could hold her here forever- she'd never have to get tired and come down, the rush would never stop...

Superman held the girl, realizing then, nit for the first time, how small she was. Bruce admitted she was light, but to a kryptonian who could easily bench a car, the girl was like a feather, her bones like glass... And yet she was never afraid, she was a hero...

"You like being up in the air, don't you?" Superman asked quietly, and the blue eyes looked up at him.

"I'm an acrobat. My mamica didn't know she was pregnant with me until she was two months along, so she kept being on the trapeze until then..." Scarlet said, as if that explained everything.

Superman smiled. "That's pretty neat..."

Scarlet nodded, laying her head against her uncle's chest. It was late, and the happiness of being in the air was starting to wear her out...

"Scarlet." Batman's voice drifted up to them, and they saw the Dark Knit himself standing below, arms crossed...

"Tati!" Scarlet completely forgot she was thirty feet in the air and pull free from Superman's grip, completely at ease as she approached the ground at a rapid pace...

Wonder Woman gasped as she watched the child fall, and J'on tried to stop her with his telepathic powers, but it was too late...

Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Hawkman, and Zatara all braced themselves for the sickening thud...

"Hi Tati! I missed you!" Scarlet chirped, curling against the caped crusader's chest...

"Hello, mi tikno chirriklo..." he said, stroking her hair...

"But... she was falling..." Wonder Woman stared, as did all the leaguers who'd witnessed the spectacle, were pale and looking shocked...

"So I caught her." Batman said simply. "And she didn't fall. She jumped. Graysons never fall."


	24. McDonalds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy really, really hates growing up. It means slowly having the things you enjoy being replaced with responsibilities- such as getting your younger sibling out of the play palace. But maybe- maybe... they're worth it.

"Hi Roy!" Scarlet hugged Roy who smiled at her, nodding. "I see you brought thing one and thing two along." he joked, nodding to Dick and Wally.

"Yeah. Barry said we're going to McDonalds!" she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet, excited.

"Really? Great..." Roy was, in truth, starving. Ollie had been dragging him to Joseph A. Banks and Mens' Warehouse stores for the past four hours, since he'd outgrown his suits and, being the ward of wealthy Oliver Queen, needed to dress up and go to stupid galas...

Yet most of his pent up frustration and fear was completely gone when he saw Scarlet. Oliver must've sensed his frustration and called them to have lunch with them. He smiled slightly. How did Ollie know Scarlet was like a massage chair- she took away all the tension that had ever existed and totally replaced it with cuteness. She was like a little air freshener, except she not only smelled like gingerbread, she was like a kitten...

"McDonalds!" Scarlet was instantly racing towards the McDonald's play land, Dick and Wally racing after her, all laughing like maniacs. Roy shook his head and grinned slightly. "Ollie, get me a number four combo, okay?" he said, before he, too, took off running after them.

They ditched their shoes, tossing them into the plastic cubbies, before climbing into the labyrinth of plastic tubes and slides, climbing the ladders and playing tag...

"Ugg... those play lands are like petri-dishes. So many germs..." Barry said as they sat down with the food, content to watch the children play through the clear plastic bubbles that pervaded some areas...

"It's called hand-sanitizer, Barry." Bruce said, producing a pump of it from his pocket.

Oliver laughed. "Never thought I'd hear you being so... motherish, Bats." he said finally.

"At least he'd prepared." Barry said, and the settled back into a contented silence, watching the kids play...

Inside the little maze of tubes, everyone could hear everything, and laughter echoed as the kids ran around, ignoring all the kids they didn't know, simply obsessed with evading the one who was 'it'.

"I'll get you, Dick!" Roy yelled, scooting after Dick as he raced through the tube maze. Dick easily jumped into a blue tubed twisty slide, and Roy headed down after him. Only Roy didn't come out at the mouth of the slide. Dick approached the slide, cautious for any trickery- anything went when they played tag.

"Roy? You there?" he asked.

There was a curse, and then some noise. "No." Roy's voice drifted down the twisty slide, out to Dick. "I'm stuck..."

"Stuck?" Dick asked.

"Yes, stuck in the friggin slide. Ugg! Get Ollie, would you? And make sure none of the little twerps try and slide down this deathtrap..."

Dick trotted off to get Oliver. "Uncle Ollie- Roy's stuck in the slide."

Oliver looked up, slightly startled. "You mean he can't get himself out?"

"Nope, he's stuck. Wally and Scarlet and making sure nobody slides down on top of him, but he told me to get you..."

Oliver was already striding over to the slide, slightly afraid of how stuck Roy really was... Bruce and Barry, parents and uncles as they were, followed...

"Roy, you alright in there?" Ollie called, feeling like an idiot as he spoke into a slide.

"Umm, no. I'm stuck in a friggin slide, Ollie, I am not alright!" Roy said, sounding grumpy.

"Just how stuck are you, Roy?" Bruce asked.

"Stuck. You think I'd be in here if I could get myself out?" Roy asked.

"Try and wiggle around a little." Barry suggested.

"I can't. Do you guys not know what STUCK means?"

Scarlet and Wally were listening in as they kept vigil at the slide entrance, explaining politely to all the other snot-covered, drooling children that no, they could NOT use this slide, because their very grumpy friend Roy was stuck in it and might eat them if they went down it.

"What position are you in, son?" Oliver asked, trying to picture how Roy was stuck.

"The fetal position, dang it! I can't move! Just get me out of here, Ollie."

Ollie sighed, pulling back. "He's really stuck. I think we're going to have to call the fire department." he said.

"The media would totally jump all over that." Bruce said, sighing. "Why can't anything be simple with these four?"

Oliver sighed. "I know, but what else can we do?"

At the top of the slide, Scarlet and Wally were having a discussion. "Hey Wally, do you think we could get Roy unstuck? I mean, we are heroes and all, and he needs help..."

Wally looked thoughtful. "You know, I bet we could. What's the worst that could happen?"

Just as Ollie was getting his phone out to call the fire department, Wally's voice drifted down to them. "Hang on, Roy, Scarlet and I are going to help you!"

"What?" Roy asked, slightly shocked, before he realized what they were going to do. "Oh nonononononono!" he was cut off by a large bang as the two slid into him, side by side, whamming him and knocking him loose.

A moment later all three children tumbled out, landing at Oliver's feet...

"Uhhh..." Roy's head lolled to the side and he tasted blood...

"Roy! Are you alright?" Oliver asked, seeing the blood pouring from him nose. Bruce handed the boy a few cheap McDonalds napkins to hold to it...

"Yeah, I think so. I just remembered why I hate play lands." Roy stood, striding over to the table and sighing, sitting down to his quarter pounder, intent on getting the taste of blood out of his mouth.

"That was awesome! I'm glad I got it all on video!" Dick grinned, holding up his phone.

"You didn't..." Roy gulped, nearly choking on his cheese burger.

"We saved your life, Roy! It was worth recording..." Scarlet said, taking a bite of a chicken nugget.

Roy realized she'd gotten barbecue sauce on her nose and smiled slightly, wiping it away and deciding he'd let Dick get away with keeping the video... for now.

Wally cracked jokes that were so lame that Roy had to laugh, as did the others, but soon the meal was finished, and Wally, Dick, and Scarlet were heading back up into the play land...

"You coming, Roy?" Scarlet asked.

"Not after that little incident, no." Roy said firmly, and Scarlet's smile dimmed slightly.

Roy sighed. "Aw, it isn't your fault, kid. I'm just way too big for that now..." Roy explained, and she nodded, "Okay, see you oater, then..." she chirped, before scrambling up the ladder and disappearing into the maze of tubes...

It wasn't more than two minutes later when Bruce looked up to see Dick about twenty feet off the ground, not in, but on top of a tube, in the open air, where he could easily fall and break some bones...

Several parents were gasped and pointing, and Dick waved to Bruce, flashing his normal easygoing grin.

"Dickey bird, can you come down for me?" Bruce asked.

"Sure Tati. We were playing hide and seek..." Dick easily climbed down, much to everyone's relief, before darting back into the play place...

"How the heck did he even get up there?" Barry asked, and Bruce shrugged nonchalantly as Dick jumped down and Bruce caught him, letting the boy scamper back into the play place...

The next miniature crisis occurred twenty minutes later, when two girls that looked to be about nine were dragging a boy of about five out of the play land.

"Mommy, Jimmy peed." the one girl said, and instantly, all conversation in the room stopped. There was a moment where everyone stared at the mom, who blushed, horribly embarrassed, and took her wet son into the bathroom...

Every parent in the room whipped out their phones and started texting their children to get out of the play place and watch for wet spots. Bruce and Barry were no exception. Word spread like wildfire, and soon children were shrieking and scrambling down anyway possible. More than one little girl came out in tears because she'd stumbled and fell or managed to crawl through the pee trail...

"Where's Scarlet?" Bruce asked, looking through the mob. He saw Wally and Dick, who hurried over.

"Scarlet didn't make it out." Dick said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked. They were talking about it like it was some nuclear apocalypse, not just an accident in the play place...

"She was in the danger zone." Wally said, studying the floor.

Everyone looked up at the same time to see it. Twenty feet up, in a yellow box with bubble plexiglass windows, at a dead end in the tube maze, was Scarlet, knees curled to her chest, looking like it was the end of the world.

Bruce grabbed his cell phone and called her quickly. Everyone in the room was watching.

"Scarlet? You okay, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Turn it on speaker." Someone demanded.

Bruce rolled his eyes but obeyed.

"Fine, Daddy, it's just... there's a really big puddle... and I don't want to go through it..."

"Okay, just hang in there, will you, Scarlet?"

"Alright..." Bruce sighed. "We'll get someone to go up and clean it..."

The mother of the boy who'd wet himself exited the washroom, looking close to tears from the incident... She was obviously pregnant, there was no way she could go up and do it...

"There ain't no way I'm cleaning that up." Announced the cleaning lady, who was a woman who looked a bit big to fit in the tunnels, even if she'd felt inclined to clean up the mess. She'd pulled out the cart of cleaning supplies, at least.

Roy looked up, and Scarlet put her hand on the plexiglass bubble window, looking down as though desperate... He sighed. Scarlet was like his little sister, and there was no way he was leaving the kid up there...

"For gosh sakes, someone here has to have some balls!" Roy said, grabbing rubber gloves, a roll of paper towels, and disinfectant spray. He nodded up at Scarlet, who grinned. Roy was coming for her. Everything wold be okay, now...

"Ollie, take my phone." he shoved it into his father's hands, ditching his black hoodie to reveal a white t-shirt... he hoped it'd stay white.

"Take these with ya." the cleaning lady handed him a plastic trash bag. "For ya used paper towels."

"Thanks." Roy rolled his eyes before sighing, taking a breath if air and starting up the little raised plastic ovals that acted as ladders in this little tube maze...

Gosh, he could already smell it. He thought about the route carefully. It was already uncomfortably hit and stuffy in the tubes, making every smell more awful... At least he'd disregarded the rules. There was no WAY he was taking off his shoes now, not with pee in here...

His thoughts drifted once again to Scarlet, poor kid, trapped by a puddle of pee in this in only socks...

He was brought back to the present by a junction of tubes. Right or left? He had no idea. The tubes changed color every five feet, it was a friggin rainbow maze...

"Scarlet?" he yelled.

"Roy!" the voice was faint, and Roy sighed, realizing he had a lot of twists and turns to make before he found her. Luckily, he stumbled on the trail a moment later. Stupid pee... H was wearing gloves, thankfully, and the smell of disinfectant was welcome as he wiped up the mess, before disinfecting the area...

He kept crawling on like that, content his knees were wet from disinfected surfaces, not urine. Finally, after ten minutes of serious cleaning, the fumes from the lysol were starting to get to him. He was feeling kinda light headed...

He almost fell face first into the mother load, then. Almost. He caught himself at the last second, mopping up the huge puddle of pee and tossing the drenched paper towels into the trash bag he'd dragged behind him, spraying, no, actually, drenching the area and scrubbing it with lysol before he looked up to see Scarlet.

"Roy!" she chirped, so happy to see him.

Down below, Oliver stared, relieved, as he saw Roy enter the small boxy compartment with Scarlet, alive... He'd been worried ever since the hit five minutes of Roy's rescue mission.

"I can't believe he did it..." Wally said, looking up in awe.

"We aren't home free yet, kid." Roy said, pulling off his rubber gloves and tossing them into the trash bag before spraying his bare hands with disinfectant, doing the same for Scarlet. "Now, I did my best to clean everything up, but you're in socks, so there's no way I'm letting you walk across the floor. It's still wet from the disinfectant, you'd slip and break your face open..." he tied off the trash bag, nodding to Scarlet.

"I'll carry you, but you need to hold this..." Roy handed her the trash bag, which she held willingly, along with the disinfectant spray... Roy picked her up, not letting her stocking feet touch the ground...

"The lysol fumes will get to your head, but we'll be out of here soon enough..." Roy assured her, starting forward in a crouch, moving painfully slowly to avoid hitting his head as he carried her...

He ditched his original route, choosing to go into another tube, hoping he knew where it'd lead... He was going to pass out if he didn't escape the stupid labyrinth and the lysol fumes...

Scarlet started coughing, and beads of sweat broke out on Roy's forehead. It was hot in here, so hot...

"Yes!" he choked out. He never thought he'd be so glad to see another slide in his life...

He tossed down the trash bag and disinfectant, knowing Ollie would remove the bag and can in time, before nodding to Scarlet. "Dang it... I hate play lands..." Roy muttered, and slid down the slide, holding Scarlet...

They both just gasped for breath for a moment, and Roy looked up to see everyone in the food court applauding...

He stood, looking disgusted. "Let's get out of here." he said, looking at Oliver. And that was when Bruce decided they would never return to that McDonalds. And Oliver learned that when it came down to it, Roy was a pretty good big brother.


	25. More Bat-parenting

It was another late August day. The mentors, as usual, were busy in a meeting, leaving Roy, Robin, Sparrow, and KF to there own devices.

"I say we hide and see what they do about it." Dick said calmly. They were trying to think of ways to prank their mentors...

"Why not train for a bit?" Roy asked. "I hear the league has androids they train with. Sounds a ton more interesting than just plain old sparring..."

"I know where they keep them!" Sparrow was already scampering over to the locked cupboard in the training room. She pulled a bobby pin from her raven hair and inserted it into the master lock, fiddling for a few moments... It clicked open.

"Eleven seconds. Not bad." Robin grinned, and Wally, and excited blur, opened the cupboard and started dragging out the training bots...

"What level should we set them on?" Dick asked. But Wally was already setting them up, messing with the settings...

"Ready for combat. Attack will commence in ten seconds..." one of them announced.

"Wally, what level did you set it on?" Robin asked, not really worried. He and Scarlet had trained with the bots before, they weren't that hard...

"Ten." Wally said, unpreturbed.

"Wait, what? I've only trained on level six before!" Robin said, staring at Wally and then at the six bots.

"It shouldn't be too hard. Not with all four of us." Wally said, shrugging off Dick's concern. Just then, the bots started shooting lasers. The frantic kids jumped and dodged, desperate not to be shot...

"Get behind the couch!" Roy yelled, taking aim at the lead bot and firing off an arrow. The robot caught it before it hit it's chest, before snapping it in half, and Roy gulped. This was going to be hard...

"Sparrow! Delta four!" Robin yelled, and both of them flipped into the air, Scarlet landing on the bot's shoulder and taking out the sensor in it's back, head, and stomach before leaping, managing to land shakily on the next bot...

Robin worked faster, twisting in mid-air to avoid the laser beam.

"Distract them!" Scarlet yelled, and Wally did what he did best, being annoying, He ran around them in circles, while Roy managed to snare some of the ots in foam and trick arrows...

"Roy, we need cover, now!" Robin announced. In total, only one bot had been disabled. All the others were still operating...

Roy fired off an explosive arrow that gave them some smoke cover for a moment, before deciding to dodge into close-range firing.

Unbeknownst to them, he mentors had been attracted by the commotion and were watching in the wings, Flash moved to help them, but Batman stopped him with a raised hand. "Wait. Let's see if they can do it." he said.

He watched Scarlet dodge a mechanical punch and launch herself up, both feet striking on the bot's chest and sending him stumbling back into Wally, who'd made himself into a speed-bump. The robot hit the floor, knocking out the last sensor on his back...

Roy and Robin had teamed up, as well, Robin doing flips and faking out the robots while Roy trapped them with foam arrows, before knocking the last few sensors out of them. After five minutes of struggle, the last bot powered down...

"Almost... didn't make it..." Roy panted, and Scarlet nodded her agreement.

"How many times have we told you not to use the bots unsupervised?" Batman growled, startling them all. "You may have beat them this time, but what it you hadn't? They aren't programmed to stop- they could've killed you."

"Yeah... but they didn't. I did it... WE did it..." Roy grinned at his comrades, who looked as though they wanted to exchange high fives at the moment, Batman had to admit, taking down six bots at their age on level ten, which was when they started using lasers, was a big accomplishment, but he wouldn't praise them after they'd disobeyed him...

"Clean up the bots. Robin, Sparrow, you're grounded for two days." Batman said firmly, before striding out of the room.

All the rest of the mentors followed, and Superman gave Batman a questioning look. "They did really well. Why would you punish them?"

"They disobeyed orders. What will it teach them if they get off free? That it's okay to disobey orders- they disobeyed orders once in Gotham and they'd be DEAD. So I punish them." Batman said simply, not at all bothered.

"But... they think you hate them..." Oliver said, looking troubled.

"No they don't- it's clear you're still pretty new to the entire father thing, Queen." Batman said. "Punishment and pleasure both require a delicate balance. They know I'm ticked off because they disobeyed orders and did something dangerous. They also know that by the time we get back to the Batcave, if they behave, it'll be forgotten. Forgive and forget. Live and learn." Batman said calmly, looking completely stone-faced, as normal.

"So, you really do care about them?" Wonder Woman asked, studying the Dark Knight's expression.

They saw something like disbelief and pain okay out under the cowl, though it was very hard to tell.

"What do you think? They're my children." and with that, Batman turned to leave, cape sweeping the floor as he headed to his room- he had paperwork to do, political meetings to arrange... He saw out of the corner of his eye the children cleaning up the bots and smiled slightly beneath the cowl- something he'd found himself doing a lot more these past eleven months since he adopted two little rays of sunshine.


	26. Lost

Even though they'd been at the watch tower a few times, they'd mainly stuck to the main rooms together. Yes, that's right. Roy, Dick, Wally, and Scarlet were once again in the watch tower...

"Okay, so what should we do?" Roy asked. He was personally wanting to just take a nap. He'd been up late all last night doing homework, he hadn't seen his surrogate brothers and sister in two weeks since the McDonald's incident, and he had felt a little guilty...

"Can we go exploring?" Scarlet asked, cocking her head like a curious animal.

"You know what... sure..." Roy sighed, standing wearily. For once, he wasn't sure if he could take their antics...

Wally had started humming a shockingly hated tune. "If you start singing anything from Dora I will punch you out." Roy threatened, and Wally promptly shut up.

"Where do we explore?" Dick asked.

"Let's just run around..." Scarlet said, before taking off around the corner.

"Wait up, guys..." Roy grumbled.

"It's not our fault you're a geezer!" Dick yelled, knowing it would enrage Roy. He was right, of course, and Roy's rage fueled him enough to have him stay a steady twenty feet behind the sprinting children...

"Geezer geezer geezer!" Scarlet yelled, racing around another twist and turn in the labyrinth that was the watch tower, her younger two brothers giggling uncontrollably as they raced along beside her.

"Roy, you're so old! If you had a lawn you'd be yelling at us to get off it!" Wally yelled, and they broke out once again in giggles. All this t,e they were still running, getting stitches in their sides from laughter and running...

"I'm gonna kill you guys!" Roy roared, still running after them, his exhaustion now forgotten, replaced by anger.

He finally managed to corner them, but realized he'd taken it a little too far when he saw the look of fear on their faces.

He sighed. "Fine. I might not kill you guys. But I am NOT a geezer."

"Deal." Wally agreed, smiling. And the tension was broken.

"Hey Roy, it's dinner time. We should get to the dining hall, or Batman will be worried..." Dick said.

"First let's try and figure out where we are..." Roy said. He sighed in frustration, realizing he had no idea where they were, and were surrounded by four corridors possibly directions the could go in...

Roy sighed. "Okay, so we're officially lost. Anyone have any ideas?"

"Call for help?" Wally suggested.

"No! Then they'll think we're irresponsible! We are responsible!" Dick said firmly, shaking Wally.

"Says the boy who thought it was a good idea to make me angry and almost get them killed." Roy said dryly.

"Roy, this isn't funny! We're really lost!" Wally said frantically.

"Wally, calm down..." Roy tried, but the red head's eyes grew even wider.

"Calm down? Calm down!? I could starve! I'm a speedster, if we're lost for like, two hours and I don't have food, I pass out! I'm going to die! Help me Dick, help me, I'm spiraling!" the ten year old pleaded, grabbing Dick by the shoulders and shaking him as fat tears rolled down his cheeks...

"Get a grip!" Dick yelled, slapping his friend across the face. Wally slumped to the floor and stopped hyper-ventilating. "Thanks, I needed that..."

"Look, no one is going to die, guys. We can get back to the main hall... somehow..."

"I have an idea." Scarlet piped up, pointing down a corridor. "Why don't we go that way? If we keep going in one direction long enough, we'll get somewhere..."

Roy nodded. "Makes sense. Okay, let's go..." And so they struck out forward, until they reached a dead end in another twenty minutes.

"Alright. Let's go left this time." Dick suggested, and so they kept going, turning left at every intersection of the hallways for another half hour, until they realized they'd been walking in a huge square...

"This is hopeless!" Roy yelled, punching the wall out of frustration. "We're never going to find our way back! Look, I don't care how irresponsible the league thinks we are after this, I just want to get somewhere!" Roy announced, livid.

"I want Dad, Dick..." Scarlet whispered, voice laced with dispair and eyes disappointed.

"Okay, okay, I'll call them..." Dick punched in the sequence into his communicator and gaped. "The batteries are dead." he said, eyes growing wide.

"Let me try... Dang it, I left my communicator in my other pants!" Roy said.

"Wally?" Scarlet asked hopefully.

"Scarlet, I'm the least responsible one here. You really think my communicator works if there's doesn't? Besides, I kinda sat on it..."

"Scarlet, please tell me your battery isn't dead..." Roy pleaded with her.

"No... it's not... In fact, it's sitting on the charger."

"Really!? Where?" Roy asked, getting hopeful.

"At home." Scarlet said.

"Nooo!" everyone said in unison.

Wally sniffed a little- he was taking it pretty hard. He was a speedster, meaning he was pretty hungry. And right now, their situation seemed hopeless.

"Suck it up, Wally."Roy snapped. He was hungry and tired too, and his patience was wearing thin...

At the look of fear Wally gave him, he instantly relented. "Sorry, Wally, I just... look, we're all tired, hungry, and lost, alright? But we'll be okay... because... we're together." he said, giving the group a weak smile, which they returned.

"Okay, now we need a plan of action. We're totally lost in a huge satellite orbiting Earth and we haven't seen anyone in two hours. What should we do? We need to find a landmark, something we recognize..."

They all looked around to find nothing.

"Hey, what if we found a window? We could look at the stars and try and figure out where we are by the constellations..." Dick suggested, and Roy perked up.

"Sounds like a plan. Okay, a window, a window..." They spent the next twenty minutes searching in vain, and Roy sighed. "no windows... okay..."

"Hey Roy, why is there a mailbox here?" Scarlet asked, pointing to a small chute in the wall...

"That's not a mail box, that's a just a laundry chute..." Roy said, before he gaped.

"A laundry chute! To the laundry room! At least we'll know where we, are, then..." Wally beamed, looking excited.

"But none of us know how to get back to the main room from the laundry room, Roy." Dick said, looking a bit skeptical.

"Dick, I don't even care. I want to get somewhere, and this..." he said, motioning to the laundry chute. "Is somewhere. Now, are we going, or what?"

"I'll go!" Scarlet chirped happily, and before anyone could stop her, she had scrambled into the chute and was gone.

Her joyful screams echoed out to them, until there was a loud bang and silence...

"Oh my gosh! It ate Scarlet!" Wally yelled. "And we thought it was a laundry chute... I'm coming, Scarlet!" he jumped in as well, sliding after her, anxious...

Roy and Dick anxiously followed, Roy glad he could at least fit into the chute... The next three minutes were, possibly, the worst in his life. He was slammed into the sides of the chute, since there was a complex system of twists and turns the chute had to take to get to the laundry room. They'd been told there were chutes all over the tower, and Roy had never been so relieved to plunge out of the metal death trap and into a huge bin of dirty clothing...

"That was awesome!" Wally yelled, grinning. "I can't believe we did that!"

"Wally, where's Scarlet?" Dick asked, eyes nervously scanning the surface of all the spandex costumes...

Wally paled. "I... THE LAUNDRY ATE HER!"

"Scarlet!" Roy yelled, realizing what had happened and feeling horror well up within him. The clothes seemed to be like quick sand, you fell into the gaps between then, and Scarlet had probably slid under the slippery mass of spandex. All the horror stories he'd seen on the internet about toddlers and young children suffocating under blankets and table clothes came to the forefront of his mind with a vengeance.

"I'm coming, kid!" Roy yelled, digging frantically through the costumes. Wally and Dick quickly joined him, until Roy caught sight of something that seemed to be plucked straight from a horror movie... A small hand appeared ti reach up from the surface of clothing, and it was wiggling frantically...

"There!" he seized the wrist and pulled, Wally and Dick helping, until they'd managed to free the littlest bird from a mound of costumes...

Scarlet gasped for air, sprawling on the clothes.

Wally started tearing up. "It's okay, Scarlet- it's going to be okay..." he said, hugging her as though she'd come back from the dead. Roy realized the exhaustion and hunger was making them all slightly crazy as he jumped down from the huge, industrial sized bin, helping each of his siblings down after him.

"Okay, we're in the laundry room..." Roy said. At the moment, his three friends were gaping at all the water swishing in the thirty washers going...

"Can I get in one? Just for the spin cycle?" Scarlet asked hopefully.

"No." Roy said firmly. "Now, we're in the laundry room... we just have to figure out how to get back to the main room..." Roy sighed, realizing he had absolutely no idea how to do that. It was going to be a long night...


	27. Found

"They still aren't here, Bats." Superman said, looking over at his friend as they ate dinner in the cafeteria. "You think everything is alright?"

Batman nodded. "They haven't seen Roy and Wally in two weeks. They're probably just horsing around like they do and having too much fun to remember to eat..."

That had been three hours ago. Now almost all the leaguers were gathered around in the dining room, looking concerned as they murmured theories about where the four sidekicks could be. Because, despite all outward appearances, the sidekicks were like everyone's children. Hawkwoman in particular had taking a liking to Scarlet the day she'd said, blatantly honest, as little kids are,

"Woah... you have huge wings on your back!" to her. And everyone had fallen in love with the sidekicks from that day forward.

Black Canary saw underneath Roy's tough facade a boy who needed love, and everyone else, though they could be trying at times, seemed to brighten and laugh more when one of the children was in the room with them. Heck, having all four was a recipe for a good time... And that was why everyone was so concerned when the little bright spots in the hard career of being a superhero hadn't appeared for dinner that night.

"It's been three hours, Batman, I believe it is time to worry." Wonder Woman said.

"Maybe they're just asleep or something." Flash said, trying to be optimistic.

"Asleep? Really, Barry? Those three are known for having more laughs together than the Joker. And they haven't seen each other in two weeks. There is no way they are sleeping."

"Which begs the question, where are they?" Oliver asked, and all eyes drifted over to Batman.

"Come on, Bruce- we all know how paranoid you are. You have tracking devices planted on Scarlet and Dick, don't even try to deny it. Now activate them. We're all worried..." Black Canary said, and Batman reached for his wrist computer and activated a holographic map. Those who knew him enough to read him, which was only Superman and Wonder Woman, saw his brow crease with concern beneath the cowl.

"There tracking devices are offline." he said grimly.

"Okay... NOW we panic." Flash announced.

* * *

 

"Ahhh!" Scarlet and Dick weren't playing tag at the moment. No, on the contrary, they were running for there lives with Roy and Wally. They hadn't realized it, but the laundry room was right next to the boiler room, and Scarlet had been terrified by the sudden whoosh of the furnace turning on and started sprinting to get as far away from it as she could...

"Scarlet! Scarlet, slow down, kid..." Roy pleaded, but the girl paid him no heed. She was exhausted, her nerves were shot, and she was going to get as far away from that scary noise as possible...

She only stopped when she collapsed, which, thanks to her training, wasn't until five minutes later, when they'd lost all hope of figuring out where they were...

"I... ugg..." Roy huffed, falling to the floor beside her. How could one kid be so fast? Everyone's lungs were burning from the frantic sprint, and Wally was looking half dead, eyes glazed over. Roy knew the speedster's blood sugar was dropping, and Scarlet was on the brink of not being able to walk anymore. Dick looked worse for the wear too, face pale and his hands shaking slightly from exhaustion and exertion...

"I... okay... We aren't going to make it back to the main room." he said.

He expected Scarlet to cry, but she didn't- whether it was because she'd already figured this out before him or she was simply to exhausted, Roy had no idea. Wally was crying, though. "Roy... I'm so hungry... I'm gonna faint soon..." Wally cried, worming his way over to Roy.

"Wally... just breathe, Wally... they'll come looking for us soon..." Roy promised. But in truth, he was scared. What if Wally did pass out? What if the speedster starved before the league found them?

"Wally... here." Dick croaked, and Roy saw the boy holding out a chocolate bar. "I was saving it for when things got really desperate..." he explained. Wally snatched it and was about to eat it all when he looked around at his friends.

"I... we'll share it." he announced, breaking the bar into four pieces.

"Wally- no. You need it most..." Roy tried to reason, but Wally shook his head. "At least... at least have a little..." he ordered, and Roy took one square of chocolate to appease him, as did Dick...

"Not hungry... tired..." Scarlet muttered, making Roy's worry increase tenfold. How could she not be hungry? The kid was tiny...

"At least if we gotta die... we can die together..." Scarlet murmured, crawling over to Roy and curling against the older boy. Dick crawled over and got on Scarlet's other side, and Wally on Roy's other side.

Roy nibbled halfheartedly on his portion of snickers, feeling both exhaustion and despair when he realized they were having a last meal of sorts. Roy found himself laying on his stomach, arms around both children like a bird taking its young under wings, cheek mushed against the ground... He was so tired, he simply let sleep take over....

* * *

 

"They've been missing for three hours, they could be anywhere. We need to split up..." Superman instructed. "Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and Hawk Woman will take the fourth, Green Lantern, hawkman, and Plastic Man will take the third, Batman, Flash and I the second, and Green arrow, Aquaman, and Martain Manhunter the first. We stay in constant contact, is that understood? The kids could be hurt or something, and we'll use all necessary caution. Good luck everyone."

And with that, the searchers dispersed. They hardly spoke, so great was there concern for the youngest members of the league, and worry pervaded the entire watch tower.

After a half an hour of calling with no responses, Aquaman pointed to what appeared to be a heap of something in the distance. "What is that?" he asked. He and Martain Manhunter raced forward, hearts in there throats...

"It's them." Martain Manhunter said, dismayed, as he looked down at the four bodies. Aquaman fell to his knees, slightly frantic, checking for pulses...

"They're all uninjured." he announced, looking immensely relieved as he got on his communicator.

"Aquaman to everyone, we've found them- all of them. They're unhurt, just asleep, down by the maintenance hatch..."

It seemed as though a collective sigh of relief went through everyone, and within five minutes all the members were assembled around the children...

"Ohh..." Black canary said quietly, a tender expression adorning her features when she saw the four curled up like they were, looking so adorable...

"They're so cute..." Wonder Woman cooed, looking down at them.

"Move." Everyone heard the tone cold voice and parted like the red sea, and Batman strode towards his proteges, looking... anxious... as he saw them. No, he couldn't be anxious... he was Batman, and many dismissed him look for mild concern... His features immediately softened when he saw them, but he pursed his lips and bent down, eyes searching his children for any visible injuries...

He turned Scarlet's arm over, revealing a large, puffy bruise forming on her arm, and a collective gasp rose from the audience of heroes.

Scarlet stirred quietly and blinked sleepily, looking up to find her father staring down at her worriedly.

"Dad?"

"What happened?" Batman demanded,m an edge of concern in his voice.

"Damn watchtower." Roy muttered.

"You guys should really put out maps or something." Dick agreed.

"Food?" Wally asked, eyelids drooping slightly.

"We kinda got a little lost..." Scarlet explained quietly.

Batman nodded. "And you were bruised how?"

All four children blushed. "You see- the laundry chute seemeed like a good idea at the time..." Dick began.

Roy moaned. "Not a good idea. Totally not a good idea."

Batman nodded. "Flash- take them to the dining hall." he ordered. But everyone could've sworn they saw the corner of Batman's lips twitch, like he was trying hard not to smile.


	28. Milestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce notices something different about Dick.

Bruce first noticed it at dinner one night in the Wayne Manor. Dick was eating a lot more than he usually did, not even making conversation like he loved to do. He was too intent on eating to do so.

Bruce smiled slightly, relieved. It was a welcome change from Dick's normal eating habits, where he ate so little it actually worried Bruce sometimes.

"Hungry, Dick?" Bruce asked.

Dick looked up, then nodded, before continuing to eat.

Bruce smiled and shook his head, just happy to see the boy eating.

The red flags went off when he, Dick, and Scarlet were watching TV later. Scarlet was asleep in his lap, but it was hardly even seven thirty.

Dick yawned, and leaned against Bruce slightly.

"Tati, can I go to bed?" he asked, looking at Bruce with drooping eyelids.

"What?" Bruce stared, slightly startled. Dick never went to bed early, especially not when he knew he might be allowed to patrol that night.

"Can I go to bed, I asked..." Dick said, being cut off by a large yawn.

"... Of course..." Bruce said, but his red flags were raised... "Hang on a minute, though..." Bruce said, setting Scarlet down on the chair to his left before kneeling in front of his son and feeling Dick's forehead.

"You feeling alright, Dickie?" Bruce asked, still concerned. Dick wasn't warm at all, he wasn't running a fever.

"Fine, Tati... just tired..." Dick said, being interrupted once again by a huge yawn. "'Night, Tati..."

"Goodnight, Dick..." but Bruce was still slightly worried by his son's behavior, and he gently tucked Scarlet in, before entering Dick's room and finding the boy already sacked out in bed. He smiled slightly- Dick looked cute- but he felt Dick's forehead once more, still worried by his son's behavior.

All of Gotham's worst were in prison, and Bruce decided Batman could take a night off- half from knowing that, and the other half out of worry Dick was getting sick.

He managed, after a few minutes of worry, to fall asleep himself.

"Bruce! Bruce!" he woke up around midnight, hearing Dick calling for him, and jumped out of bed, hurrying down he hall to Dick's room.

"Dick?" Bruce perched on the edge of his bed, seeing his son in tears... "Are you alright?"

"No... I hurt, Bruce, really bad..." Dick said, looking at Bruce with fear in his eyes.

"Alright, Dickie bird, it's alright..." Bruce promised, gently pulling the blankets off the boy. "Let me see where, alright?"

Dick nodded, pointing to his thighs just above his knees... "It really hurts, Tati..." he said, gasping as another stab of pain hit him.

"It's okay, Dickie, it's okay..." Bruce said, starting to rub the afflicted area and watching his son's face. "How does that feel?" he asked, hoping to ease the pain, whatever it was.

"Better..." Dick sniffed, still looking pale.

"What else is wrong, Dickie?" Bruce asked. He'd moved to gently massaging the area, since it seemed to ease the boy's pain.

"N-nothing... my legs just... really hurt..." Dick admitted.

"Does this help?" Bruce asked, as he continued to massage just above the boy's knees, In truth, he'd do anything to ease the boy's pain.

"Y-yeah... Thanks for coming, Bruce..." Dick murmured, before his eyes fell closed and he was asleep again.

Bruce looked down at his son, brow creased with let up from massaging for a moment, laying his hand on his son's forehead to find it still the normal temperature... He frowned, laying his hand next on the sleeping boy's cheek.

Dick whimpered, an Bruce quickly returned to massaging the boy's legs, feeling his worry for his son's health return.

He stayed in the room for two hours, before Dick's pain appeared to have abated and the boy was fast asleep.

Even then, he only stopped to contemplate calling Dr. Leslie, but elected not to leave his son...

In the morning, Dick slept later than usual, but he seemed fine... Bruce went to get dressed for work, convinced it'd been a one time thing, until he got home from work.

"Hello, Master Bruce..." Alfred greeted him as usual as Bruce shed his suit coat. It was summer, late June, to be exact, and there was no way he wanted to be stuck in the restricting coat anymore than he had to be.

"Where's Dick and Scarlet?" Bruce asked, slightly concerned. The two were like little dogs, always running to greet him when he got home. He swore if they'd had tails, they'd be wagging. So he was worried when they didn't come to greet him.

"Master Dick is sleeping in the main room. Scarlet grew bored without him to play with, but I believe she decided to sleep as well..."

"Asleep? But they were both asleep last night..." Bruce said, feeling incredibly confused. Dick had hardly been up for a half an hour last night from being achy, and he'd gone to bed early last night, as well, so he shouldn't be sleeping during the day. He was really worried now.

He left his briefcase on the table and entered the living room to find Dick curled up on the couch, Scarlet snuggled against his chest, his chin resting on his sister's head, and Bruce almost stopped and smiled, were it not for his growing worry.

He felt both their foreheads to find their temperatures were normal.

Still, it had been niggling at him all day that something was wrong with Dick- his son almost NEVER slept that much.

Alfred started cooking, and the smell wafted into the living room... Dick's eyes opened, and he looked around sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Is dinner ready, Bruce?" he asked, looking at his father, bleary-eyed.

"Not yet, Dick..." Bruce said, taking a seat beside the boy on the couch. "You sure you're feeling alright, Dickie? You've been sleeping an awful lot lately..."

"Fine, Tati. Just a little tired..." Dick assured him, sighing and stretching. "Just hungry..." he left Scarlet on the couch, heading to the kitchen.

Bruce watched the boy that night. He ate heartily, before nearly nodding off at the table...

"Mind if I go to bed, Bruce?" Dick asked once again.

Bruce stared. "Dick, I'm really starting to worry. You haven't been yourself lately. You never ask to go to bed this early, you slept almost all day... are you sure you've been feeling alright?"

"I feel fine, Tati... better than usual, actually. I just really want to go to bed..."

"Alright. Goodnight, Dick..."

"G'night, Tati..." Dick yawned, before heading up to bed.

Bruce didn't sleep that night, instead waiting...

Sure enough, at around midnight, Dick called him. He found the boy curled into a ball on his bed, breathing hard.

"Legs again, Dick?" Bruce asked, slightly nervous. Dick nodded, face twisted from pain.

"T-tati... what's wrong with me? I just want to sleep..." Dick muttered, as tears rolled down his face.

"I don't know, Dick..." Bruce admitted, as he started, once again, to massage the boy's legs. Suddenly, it hit him.

"Dick, can you stand up for me?"

"I'll try..." Dick winced until he managed to get to his feet. Bruce looked at his son for a minute, observing him, before he chuckled.

"What is it, Bruce?" Dick asked, obviously still in pain, as Bruce looked at him.

"You can lay down, Dick. I figured out what's going on." Bruce assured him.

Dick obeyed, and Bruce continued to massage the aching flesh just above the boy's knees.

"You've noticed you eat a lot more lately? And sleep a ton more, too?" he asked, and Dick nodded. "And you've been achy, too. You're having a growth spurt, Dick."

"Oh..." Dick murmured, and Bruce could feel the boy still relaxing as he massaged his achy legs.

"And these are called growing pains. Ever heard of them?"

Dick nodded. "My... my Mamica said I used to get them..." he murmured, but he was asleep before he could even finish the sentence. Bruce smiled quietly as he continued to massage Dick's legs, feeling at ease for awhile... Finally, he knew what was going on with his son. He remembered waking up a few times as a child with awful aches as well.

He remembered the times when his mother would hold him and his father would rub his back. His father was a doctor, so he knew what was going on. "Just growing pains, Bruce. They mean you're getting bigger..." he'd said. Bruce remembered it all, his mother's scent of lavender and her soft touch, the sound of her voice as she sang to him, his father's steady but gentle hand as he felt Bruce's abdomen to be sure he didn't have appendicitis and his diagnosis of simple growing pains...

"I see you've figured it out, then, Master Bruce." Alfred said. Bruce looked up, surprised to see Alfred in the doorway.

"Alfred. You knew?"

"Yes, Master Bruce, I did. I thought it best you figure it out, though, you are the boy's father..."

"How did you know?" Bruce asked. He never remembered Alfred helping him through the pain.

"I remember a certain young boy would get them years ago, and his mother would be awfully worried about him..."

Bruce chuckled. "I should've asked you in the first place, Alfred. You're practically a doctor yourself..."

Alfred smiled. "Perhaps. But then again, you're turning out to be quite a father, master Bruce. Now stay with him." Alfred nodded to Dick's sleeping form, before he left.

And Bruce found himself having yet another moment where he wished he could stop time and hold this moment forever. Because Dick was growing- faster than the realized. The boy had already gained practically an inch, and he was ten, going to be eleven next Spring...

His bird were growing up. Dang it, why did it have to happen? He knew he wasn't going to be able to watch out for them forever, but still, that didn't mean he didn't want to...

He sighed. He realized someday, he'd remember these days fondly... But for now, he'd love the new things each day brought.


	29. Batman is Amused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> scarlet is being a bat, and gets into a little trouble.

Roy and Wally weren't there. Dick was busy doing homework. Batman was in a meeting. And she was BORED. Scarlet sighed. She wanted to go on the trapeze, and she did, but she found it boring without Dick...

It was then she noticed the vent on the wall and, simply out of curiosity, decided to pull out the grate, leap into it, and replace the grate. She was wondering where she could go...

She crawled through the vents, finding them rather dusty, but she continued on anyways, thinking it was like it's own little hallway...

Until she crawled over a loose grate and fell. Right onto the table in the meeting Batman was in.

All conversation stopped, and Scarlet scrambled to her knees, looking slightly frantic...

Everyone else was mainly startled. "Scarlet... out." Batman said calmly.

"Sorry Tati..." she blushed furiously, grabbing the gate and swinging back into the vent, replacing the grate and crawling away as fast as she could...

Batman chuckled as soon as she was out of the room, a low, gravelly chuckle...

Superman shook his head, grinning. "Crazy kid. Why'd she even get into the vents?"

"She got bored. Now, I say we threaten an air strike if they refuse to conform..."

But for a moment, everyone had seen the softer side of Batman when he'd chuckled, and it was... enlightening.


	30. Without a Net

"You guys sure you want to do this?" Bruce asked as Scarlet clung to his hand tightly. He could see ever line in the girl's face was taught with apprehension, her posture similar to that of when she was on high alert, and Robin, too, was ill at ease beside him.

"We'll have to, sooner or later..." Dick said calmly. "We can't just never go back..." Dick was the one who had wanted this. It was March, the boy's birthday, and he'd asked for this... Bruce found it hard to believe he'd been caring for these children for almot a year already. Where had the time gone?

And so they entered the tent. The familiar smells washed over them- popcorn, cotton candy, and fried dough, with elephant poop, the oily smell of tent canvas, and sweat...

It was warm, so warm, and for a moment they were completely at home, and it wasn't Bruce Wayne's hand they were holding, but John Grayson's...

Bruce looked at them both sadly. He somewhat blamed himself- if e hadn't organized the fundraiser a year and a half ago that had ended in there parent's death... He could see everything written on their faces- the sadness, regret, longing... and most of all, the wondering. What would've happened if John and Mary Grayson hadn't died that night?

"What do you mean Elliot can't perform! He's the main act!" a booming voice cried to the right, and both children's eyes snapped open. Recognition lit up on their faces...

"Pop Haly!" they both were zipping towards the large, somewhat upset looking man...

"Scarlet? Dickey?" Pop Haly stared at the children who were both hugging his bulk, grinning. "Look how big you've gotten..."

"Maybe they could perform, Pop. Just like old times..." a clown suggested.

Pop Haly's brow creased. "No. I couldn't ask that of them, not without John and Mary..."

"We could do it, Pop..." Dick said quietly. Bruce heard something in his son's voice- pleading- and he realized that his children needed to do this.

"Mr. Wayne?" Pop asked, still unsure.

"I'm alright with it, Mr. Haly." Bruce said calmly. Inside, he didn't want to, but he wouldn't be able to protect them forever... And this was just something they needed to do.

"Matilda, they'll need costumes..." Pop ordered.

"Already on it, pop..." the young woman called Matilda said, fingers working furiously as she sewed...

"Everyone please take your seats!" a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

"Bye Tati. Enjoy the show!" Scarlet said. Her eyes showed fear and excitement, and Bruce forced himself to wave as he pulled himself away from his children, having to go and take his seat...

"You ready?" Dick asked as he stood with Scarlet. Matilda had managed to make them costumes similar to the old ones and surprisingly good given the lack of time- green leggings and red leotards, with yellow capes...

"Ready... Do you think they'd want us to do this, Dickey?" Scarlet asked, a tear rolling down her face.

"I know they would, Scarlet- the show must go on." Dick said, wiping away the tear off her. "Now- we're on. Wait for my cue."

Scarlet nodded, and each child scurried to the base of the platforms, scampering nimbly up the ladders...

"And now... the flying Graysons!" Pop Haly announced, booming voice proudly proclaiming the words that the circus had thought they'd never again hear after their parent's death. Scarlet easily swung out, flipping to Dick, who tossed her back to her own trapeze... Soon the ecstasy of the performance replaced the fear of falling, and Scarlet moved on to double and triple backflips, Dick flipping to her a few times as well...

"Dick is only nine years old, and Scarlet six! These siblings have been raised in the circus, folks- flying is in their blood!"

Scarlet dismounted her trapeze, letting Dick have the entire spotlight to himself. He literally flew, until he gave her her cue and she twisted through the air towards him...

They both had five seconds back on the platform while they prepared for the grand finale, and Dick looked down with disgust and realized there was a NET below them.

"Hotcha li!" (Burn it!) he yelled down to Pop Haly, who obeyed without question. The fire-breather ignited the net, and they both swung out over it...

Everyone gasped and Bruce felt his heart begin to pound. He knew they were flawless, but what if they fell...?

Scarlet did a double flip to Dick, the glow from the fire reflecting on her face with the pure joy that was etched into her features, along with Dick's... They ENJOYED freaking people out like this...

She flipped back to her trapeze, hanging upside down, hands ready, waiting for Dick to do the best move of the night...

"There it is, folks! The quadruple-flip, that's only ever been preformed by GRAYSONS!" the crowd burst out cheering, and they both went back to their platforms, knowing their act was over and they'd done it...

"Tati!" Scarlet grinned and ran to her father with Dick, who held them both tightly for a moment...

"That was wonderful." he said, and he looked up to see their eyes shining. "I'm so proud of you..."

In truth, he was glad to have them both alive, but he was proud, too...

"For a few minutes, it was almost like we were... home..." Dick murmured. Just then a camera flashed. "Mr. Wayne! Why would you put them in such danger?" a reporter asked. And then a wave a paparazzi descended on them.

"No comment." Bruce said, and Scarlet lifted up her arms, allowing him to pick her up as she clung to his side like a little koala bear, head on his shoulder... Before they were even off the grounds, she was asleep.

Bruce looked at them again. He'd laid Scarlet on the couch and Dick had chosen his favorite armchair to curl up in... Tonight he'd seen something amazing. It was the same stubborn determination they'd always had, the light that was always in their eyes... but tonight it was multiplied by ten until it was an inferno, as hot as the burning nets they'd flown over...

Flying was in there blood, and Bruce knew then that nothing made them happier- though fighting crime was probably the second thing they loved most, they had been born and raised in a gypsy circus, and they craved the rush, the danger- of performing.

And it scared him out of his mind to know that they craved doing death-defying stunts, that there was no net- but he knew it was the way it was, in the circus, and when they were fighting crimes in Gotham. He couldn't always protect them. But luckily, they were flying Grayson- even if they were still training- and they were used to flying without a net.


	31. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's father's day. 'Nuff said.

"Hey guys... you know it's father's day, right?" Dick asked. As usual, they were at the watch tower while there mentors were in meetings...

Roy dropped the arrow he'd been working on and swore, and Scarlet giggled.

"Dick, he said the word..."

"Don't repeat that." Roy ordered, flushing bright red.

"We grew up in a circus, Roy, it's fine- we know every cuss word." Dick said. "Now, what are we going to do for them?"

"It can't be something lame." Roy said decidedly. "Nothing dorky like ties and crap..."

"What about muffins?" Wally asked from where he was jamming gummy bears into his mouth.

"Yeah! Muffins are good for every occasion!" Scarlet said, grinning.

Roy nodded. "Alright, but we have to MAKE it, we can't just go buy it..."

"We need muffin mix." Dick said decidedly.

"This means shopping!" Scarlet grinned. "Can we go to Wal-mart, Roy?"

"Get changed, everyone. We're going shopping." Roy announced. With everyone busy in a meeting, it was easy for Roy to input the coordinates for Star City, and they stumbled out of the phone booth, walking past numerous homeless men before heading to Walmart.

"So, what kind of muffin mix do we want?" Roy asked, studying the display of it carefully. "Raisin muffins?"

"No! Raisins look like turds!" Wally said, and an old lady gave them a stern look and promptly pushed her cart away.

"Wally, be normal for once!" Roy scolded. "Bran, maybe?"

"No. Bran actually MAKES turds" Dick said.

Roy rolled his eyes. "Lemon poppy seed?" he asked.

"Nope! Poppy seeds make you test positive for drugs." Scarlet informed him.

"I don't even want to know how you know that." Roy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Blue berry?"

"Nope. Blue berries explode and make the muffins look weird."

"Must we be so particular!? They are just friggin muffins!" Roy exploded, finally loosing his cool. Everyone in the aisle stared, and Wally looked over to the right and grinned.

"Tolite paper fight!" he yelled, grabbing a few rolls off the tolite paper display. The fight ended when Dick decided to try throwing a twelve pack of Charmin and the manager threatened to throw them out.

"Look- give us five minutes, okay?" Roy asked, and the manager grudgingly obliged.

"Now, how about banana nut muffins?" Roy asked.

"No! Bananas are evil!" Scarlet yelped.

Roy sighed. "Fine! What muffins do you want, then!?"

"Chocolate chip." Dick said simply.

"You couldn't have just said that in the first place?" Roy sighed, grabbing a box of chocolate chip muffin mix before deciding they'd probably burn it, and grabbing five more boxes.

"Now everyone hold still!" Roy ordered, before he went through the express checkout line.

"Okay, come on..." they all filed out like good little soldiers before running back the the phone booth to the watch tower.

"These instructions are in Spanish." Wally said, looking confused as he tried to read the back of the box.

"You're holding it upside down, you idiot." Roy said, looking at the box.

"These directions are way too open ended..." Dick said, shaking his head. "See, it says add eggs, water, and oil. It never says not to add bacon or anything..."

"Because no one in his right mind would put BACON in MUFFINS." Roy sighed. "Okay, now then..." he poured the muffin mix into a bowl and added water, eggs, and oil. He didn't realize that Dick had read the directions to the letter, as Batman had taught him to, and had given him motor oil from the hangar...

"Okay. Bake at three fifty for ten minutes or until golden brown. We're good." Roy grinned.

"Um... Roy..." Dick pointed behind him, and Roy looked into the oven to see the muffins on fire.

"Get the fire extinguisher!" Roy yelled, as he pulled out the flaming pan with oven mitts. Dick quickly hacked into the computers and disabled the smoke alarms so they wouldn't be found out...

"Got it!" Scarlet ran in, dragging the fire extinguisher behind her, and sprayed...

"Okay, okay..." Roy sighed, as he washed the fire extinguisher foam from the pan. He noticed the can on the table and swore. "Motor oil!? We don't cook with MOTOR OIL, Dick!"

"It said oil! The most common form of oil used is motor oil!" Dick said defensively, as Wally scrubbed the ground free of foam.

"You know what, forget it. THIS is why I bought six packages of muffin mix." Roy said triumphantly, grabbing the next box of muffin mix. He rummaged around in the cupboards for awhile until he came up with cooking oil, before he finished the batter and put the pan in the oven...

"This should work..." Roy grinned. It was then he noticed the baking soda on the table.

"Who put baking soda in the muffins!?" Roy demanded.

"Not me!" Dick said defensively.

All eyes turned to Wally, except for Scarlet's, because she, unbeknownst to anyone, wanted to take a peek at the muffins...

"It was an experiment, okay!?" Wally admitted. "My Uncle IS a scientist, after all..."

"Experiment when it isn't father's day!" Dick said.

Scarlet opened the oven to stare at the muffins, which looked odd... Was the batter... bubbling? Suddenly the batter exploded, hot batter flying everywhere, some of it landing on Scarlet's face...

She yelped and Roy whirled to find the dough explosion and Scarlet covered in dough and swore.

"Get me some wet towels, now!" he ordered Wally and Dick, as he grabbed Scarlet.

"It burns! Roy, get it off!" Scarlet pleaded, and Roy scrambled to scrape the scalding dough off her cheek and arms...

Dick and Wally raced back in with wet cloths, and Roy saw the stove was still spitting batter.

"Dick, get the pan out of the oven! Wally, clean up the floor!" Roy ordered as he carefully sponged the hot batter off her face and arms...

"Does it hurt?" Roy asked, feeling apprehensive as he saw the shiny red skin that was burned.

She nodded, but didn't whimper or cry. She'd been trained too well for that, after the immediate source of pain was taken care of, and she allowed Roy to look at her burns.

"Shoot..." Roy muttered. "Okay, we're going to the med bay..."

"No! We haven't made the muffins yet." Scarlet said, a spark of defiance showing.

Roy had to grin. This kid had guts.

"Okay, fine, but we only try ONCE more..."

Wally was finishing cleaning up the floor, and Dick was already busy washing off the pan. "And NO ONE touches ANYTHING this time..."

"It's simple, Clark. Either the aliens give up their weapons peacefully, or we go ahead and take them from them." Batman said calmly.

Just then there was a knock on the door, followed by Scarlet's voice. "Special delivery." she chirped.

Superman had to chuckle slightly. It was a mystery as to how someone so cold like Bruce could have two little rays of sunshine...

"Come on in." he said, and the four children proudly entered...

"Happy father's day..." Scarlet said, setting a perfect looking muffin in front of Batman with Dick beside her.

"Yeah. You're not my dad, Uncle Barry, but I still made you a muffin!" Wally grinned.

"Um... here..." Roy blushed, seeing his own muffin in front of Oliver.

"Roy, you didn't have to..." Oliver started.

"Well I was the only one who knew how to use the oven..." Roy said lamely, looking away. His gaze darted over once, however, and he was relieved to see Oliver appeared to like it...

"And you four... made these?" Martain Manhunter asked, not familiar with the Earth traditions like Father's day...

"Sure did. I have the burns to prove it!" Scarlet said, and Batman looked at his daughter questioningly.

"Mental burns, she means!" Roy threw in quickly, not wanting to get in trouble for anything...

"Yeah... mental!" Scarlet said quickly, flashing her father a smile that made his heart melt...

"Alright. Thanks, you guys..." Oliver said.

Batman said something in Romani to his children, who both smiled slightly brighter before leaving, Wally and Roy quickly going with them...

"Now, as for the treaty, I say no nuclear weapons allowed, or else we airstrike their nuclear reactor..." Batman said, and the league was once again shocked by how... odd... the bat trio was.


	32. Another Incident

"I can't believe they left us here again." Roy sad sighing. "I mean, is the monster attacking Time Square really THAT important?"

"Batman said we're supposed to go to bed." Dick pointed out as they sat in the watch tower.

"Yeah. Right, I'm not a babysitter. I won't bathe anyone or anything, so go jump in the pool and then change into your pj's." Roy ordered.

"Sweet!" Wally was running off towards the pool with Scarlet on his back, all three children jumped into the water, splashing one another for a bit before heading to there mentor's rooms. There were pajamas there, and they all emerged to find Roy in the main room, feeling proud of himself for being so creative.

"Now what, Roy?" Scarlet asked, looking excited.

"Go get your tooth brushes and follow me." Roy ordered. He led them t the bathroom off Green Arrow's room and gave them each a little tooth paste.

"Ack. You got the boring flavor." Scarlet said. "My toothpaste has glitter in it."

"It's not glitter, kid, or you'd be puking up sparkles." Roy assured her.

"Then what is it?" Scarlet asked, and Roy stopped dead. "I don't know. But it isn't glitter. Now brush."

The three children all spit, and Roy handed them each a red solo cup full of mouthwash. "You know the drill..."

To his horror, Scarlet DRANK it, and he gawked...

"You aren't supposed to DRINK IT!" he cried.

Scarlet coughed. "Now you tell me. It tastes horrible..."

Wally stared from where he was reading the mouthwash bottle.

"This has fluoride in it. It could kill her!" Wally said.

"What!?" Roy snatched the bottle from Wally and stared, trying not to hyperventilate.

"No one move! I have to call poison control!" Roy whipped out his cell phone, panicking slightly...

"Press one for immediate help." The mechanical voice said. Roy stabbed the one button, feeling his heart racing.

"Please hold."

Roy paced back and forth, panicking...

"Hello, my name is Charles, poison control attendant. What's your situation?"

"Um... my sister just drank mouthwash." Roy said.

"How much?"

"A solo cup full." Roy said, and there was a pregnant pause.

"Kid, did you dare her to or something?"

"No I didn't dare her to! She doesn't know how to use mouthwash, apparently..."

"I guess not. You should've made sure she knew how... How old is she?"

"I don't appreciate you criticising me, Charles." Roy said haughtily. "And she's six."

"What kind of six year old doesn't know how to use mouthwash? Gee, your sister has some problems... You sure she's not retarded or depressed or something?"

"Now you look here, CHARLES, you are being a major butthead. My sister is a little weird, but she is NOT crazy or suicidal or retarded, and I don't appreciate your criticism..."

"And who puts mouthwash in a solo cup?"

"I hope your house burns down, Charles." Roy said, severely pissed, before he hung up.

"Did you just tell someone you hope their house burns down?" Dick asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Do as I say, not as I do." Roy grumbled, before sighing. "Okay, poison control is useless, so plan B. We're going to the ER."

"Roy... my stomach hurts." Scarlet said, looking pained.

"Well yeah, you just drank mouthwash. Okay, everyone, shoes on, we're going to the ER..."

"But I don't wanna..." Wally said. He was tired.

"Wally, Scarlet could die. This isn't up for debate. Now come on."

Everyone quickly obeyed, except for Scarlet, who was still doubled over, clutching her stomach. Roy's face creased with concern slightly.

"Want me to carry you, Scarlet?"

"Uhhhuh. It hurts... Roy... I'm sorry I drank it." She said, curling against Roy's chest.

"It's alright- you didn't know." Roy said calmly. "Okay, we'll zeta to Star and go to the hospital... Everyone hold hands. It's a big city." Roy ordered, shifting Scarlet to one arm and Taking Wally's hand, and Wally took Dick's...

They stumbled out in Star City, and Roy lead he dreary procession to the ER...

Roy went to the front desk, nodding to the secretary. "Hi. Can I get some help here?"

"What's wrong?" the receptionist asked, looking over the counter at him.

"Um... my sister drank mouthwash." Roy said.

"I'm sorry, but we can't treat anyone until we have a signature if someone who's over eighteen..."

"What? She could be dying..."

"No exceptions, kid,"

"Well this sucks." Roy muttered, before gently letting go of Dick's hand. He made his move then, running past the secretary and into the hospital with Scarlet...

"Help! I need help! Little girl dying here!" a nurse and doctor were instantly beside him.

"What's wrong?" The doctor asked.

"My sister drank mouthwash."

"Kid, I told you we can't help you unless you have an adult with you!" the secretary was approaching them, looking ticked off...

Roy set Scarlet down, turning to face the secretary. "My sister just drank mouthwash with fluoride in it, she could be dying- our parents are busy, and I won't let her die." Roy said, getting protective.

"Roy..." Scarlet looked pale, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"She should be fine, son..." The doctor tried to reassure Roy...

"Kid, out in the waiting room until your parents get here." The secretary demanded. "Now."

"Roy..." Scarlet said quietly, tugging urgently on her brother's sleeve.

"Not now, kid. No, not until I know my sister isn't going to die from poisoning..."

"R-" Scarlet gagged before proceeding to puke all over the ER floor and on the nasty secretary's shoes.

"Oh crap..." Roy muttered. Scarlet finished puking, wiping her mouth on her sleeve and looking a bit better...

"Hey Roy, I feel better now..." Scarlet said.

The secretary's hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles were white, face red, and Roy knew enough to know she was going to explode any minute now...

Wordlessly, he grabbed Scarlet and ran back into the waiting room, grabbing Dick and Wally's hands and running off into the night...

Roy didn't stop running until they were back in the watch tower, setting all three kids down on the couch...

"Okay, your stomach feels better now?" Roy asked, and Scarlet nodded eagerly. Roy saw the color was coming back into her face and sighed with relief.

"Okay- all of this NEVER happened, okay. NEVER." Roy said.

"What did happen back in the ER?" Dick asked.

"Scarlet puked all over... Look, no one got hurt, everyone's fine, and I helped you guys get ready for bed. Now, let's go to sleep and forget this ever happened." Roy ordered, sitting on the couch.

To his surprise, Scarlet crawled onto his lap and Dick and Wally snuggled against him, and within an hour, they were all asleep. Roy sighed. It was never simple with these three, but he realized, as he, too, drifted off, that he wouldn't have it any other way...

* * *

 

Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Superman, and Hawkman all entered the watchtower to find the kids dressed in pajamas, asleep in a heap on the couch...

"He actually did it." Batman said, crossing his arms and smiling slightly at the sight before them.

"I can't believe how responsible he is..." Oliver said, grinning, proud.

"I guess... Glad everything's honky dory here." Superman said, smiling.

Batman rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Boyscout."


	33. Selina

"Robin!" Batman yelled, and his protege ducked, barely avoiding the Scarecrow's scythe... Why had he elected to bring Robin along? The boy was in real danger, here...

Sparrow gasped from where she'd been hiding in he shadows. Yes, she'd snuck along, determined not to be left behind, but the Scarecrow was really... scary.

"Looks like the bird's fallen from the nest..." Sparrow whirled to see what appeared to be glowing green eyes in the night.

"Catwoman. Are you here to hurt my Tati?" Sparrow asked, fingering a birdarang.

"No. I've been tailing you, little bird- after all, cats LOVE birds." she said, her voice sticky sweet.

Sparrow gasped. "You'll never take me alive!" she said, but watching her father and brother fight Scarecrow had scared her, and she still wasn't sure whether or not she should fight Catwoman. Bruce loved Selina, and he never hurt Catwoman, but she was a villain...

Catwoman laughed. "Ah, you have Bruce's guts, too. I've seen you at the galas. Little Scarlet Grayson. I won't force you to come, but we'll have a good time..."

Sparrow hesitated. She'd met Selina, seen her with Bruce, and she was nice, but still...

"After they finish Scarecrow, I'll come. Gotta make sure Tati doesn't do something crazy." Sparrow explained.

Catwoman smiled. "You and me both, birdie. You and me both."

And so they watched until Scarecrow was taken care of before Sparrow followed Catwoman along, who led her to an apartment. They crawled into the window.

"Ditch the cape and digs." Catwoman said, tossing a glanced at Sparrow. "I figured I'd bring you here sooner or later. There's some clothes in the guest bedroom..."

Sparrow nodded, entering and finding a white t-shirt and jeans in her size laid out on the bed.

She emerged to find Selina in a pair of grey sweat pants and a red t-shirt with a frilly collar.

"You can keep the combat boots, I guess." Selina said, nodding to the boots she'd kept on from he costume. "Now come on..."

She hailed a taxi and they both slid into the back. "Gotham City Mall, please." Selina said, and the taxi driver pulled away...

"Why are you doing this?" Scarlet asked, still ill at ease. She wasn't sure what to think of Selina yet...

"Because I love Bruce. And Bruce loves you. So I suppose if I ever marry him, you're part of the deal... .No offence, of course. That, and I doubt he can properly raise a daughter."

"I think he can raise me..." Scarlet said, looking at Selina. "So, what do you think of me so far?" she asked mischievously.

Selina matched her grin with one of her own. "I think you're cautious- but being a billionaire's daughter, I suppose you have to be. But judging by that grin- you're a girl who knows how to have fun. And from what I've read about you, you know how kick some butt. You have potential, kid."

"Glad you think so." Scarlet said, smiling slightly.

They reached the mall and Selina paid the driver before they entered. "Now, problem number one I have with Bruce. He never takes you shopping. Your wardrobe consists of old t-shirts and jeans. And why, you ask? Because he's scared. Scared of the girl's clothing section."

They entered JC Penny's and Selina nodded to her. "Go crazy, kid. Anything you want, it's yours."

Scarlet grinned, running over to the boy's clothing section. Selina sighed. "That's not what I meant, kid. GIRL clothes. Sure, it's nice wearing baggy shorts once and awhile, but that's at home. I want you to have some semblance of being a girl, even though being too girly is wimpy. Women are dominant, after all."

Scarlet grinned. She was beginning to like Selina.

"What's not to like?"

Within ten minutes, Scarlet had picked out a few funny t-shirts, a some practical route 66 jeans, and a blue Aeropostale hoodie.

Selina nodded in approval, and Scarlet looked around. "That's pretty much it..."

"No, it isn't." Selina led her over to where the packs of underwear were hanging. "I know Bruce is WAY too chicken to buy you... well, you know. I'd recommend something that isn't lacy- lace really itches..."

Scarlet stared at the display for a good minute before choosing a pair of Batman boxers, and Selina had to chuckle. "Alright, I can live with that..."

"Are we going to leave now?"

Selina grinned. "Oh no. We're just getting started. Maurice, I'm going to need the works..." she said, walking over to the cosmetics counter. "We have a new student."

By the end of the half hour course, she was curling her eyelashes, penciling them, using mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, and had practically mastered lipstick...

"She's a natural." Maurice said, grinning.

"I hoped she would be." Selina said, grinning, and Scarlet felt something similar to the feeling when her mamica had first praised her on the trapeze fluttering within her. No. Selina wasn't her mother. Selina never would be her mother... Or would she? Maybe...

"Maurice, get her everything I usually get." Selina said, and Scarlet felt even more pride swell within her...

"And finally, shoes. Every girl needs at least three pair. Walking, running, and sexy. You choose."

Scarlet nodded. She picked out a pair of wonder woman high tops, some plain white sneakers, and a pair of black, shining fashion boots with a one inch heel...

"There we go." Selina grinned. "That is how you shop." and they checked out.

They headed down through the mall, past the fountains and photo booths and kiosks, to the food court...

"Where do you want to eat?" Selina asked, setting down the bags. Scarlet had been carrying the bag of shoes with her, and she set it down, looking around the place...

"Hot Pretzel Joe's?" she suggested. Selina smiled. "Alright. Next time we go out, I'll teach you about the finer things..."

Just then a mousy looking man of about twenty-five strode up. Scarlet had been watching him preen himself for the last five minutes and eye Selina...

"Babe, do you have a map? Cause I'm lost in your eyes." he said, smiling feebly.

Selina shot Scarlet a grin, and she knew she should pay attention. She was obviously going to learn something great here...

"You know, that shirt looks great on you." the man tried again.

Selina took a sip from her drink. "Really? You know what else looks good on me? My boyfriend."

"Oh... Um... bye..." and the man scurried away. Scarlet giggled and Selina looked at her, amused. "See? Would Bruce ever teach you that?"

Scarlet shook her head. Tonight had turned out to be an awesome night, but it was past one in the morning, and she was tired...

"I guess it'd be bed time, then..." Selina grinned as she looked over to see Scarlet asleep, head on the table. She shifted the girl into one arm and the shopping bags into the other before heading out.

Bruce Wayne paced the floor of Wayne manor, anxious. "Alfred, are you sure she snuck along in the trunk?" Bruce asked. His mind was reeling- he'd already searched the trunk and come up empty, but still, why would Sparrow have left the scene if she'd tagged along?

"Quite sure, Master Bruce. You know how she dislikes being left behind." Alfred said.

"But where would she go? Her tracking device is offline, I have no idea how she even managed that..."

"Perhaps because she left her belt-radio with the hidden tracking chip here and turned off, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, holding it up.

"Dang it, she's good. When will she realize she's just a little kid? She shouldn't be sneaking off like this..."

There was a knock at the door upstairs, and Bruce sprinted to answer it, pulling open the door, praying he'd find...

"Selina?"

"I brought your daughter home, Bruce." Selina said calmly, walking past him, into the manor, and setting Scarlet on the couch.

Bruce looked at every inch of Scarlet from where he was, before he was sure his daughter was simply asleep, and relaxed slightly... until he saw Selina's smug expression.

"You kidnapped my daughter?" he asked. He didn't want to yell at Selina, but did she know how worried he'd been?

"Not kidnapped. More like saved. The Joker and Two-Face are out on the streets, I found her watching your fight in Dredger's Alley. Figured I might as well get her before someone else did, she was so wrapped up in making sure you won..."

"She was stalking me, wasn't she?" Bruce asked, looking down at his daughter for a minute.

"She was making sure you didn't need back up." Selina said.

"So how'd you manage to drag her away?"

Selina smiled. "I didn't. She came with me after she saw you had it under control and we had a night out on the town..."

"I can see that. And she just... let you take her?"

"Heck no. I told her we'd have a good time and that you liked me and she must've been pretty curious about me, since she went with me. Anyways, I bought her some things, since you'd never set foot in the girl's clothing section..."

"I get the picture." Bruce said, looking a this daughter solemnly...

"Bruce. Don't tell me you're going to punish her for this. She only snuck out to make sure you were alright..."

"She disobeyed orders, Selina. If you hadn't been there, who knows who'd have nabbed her? Not to mention she made sure to ditch her tracking device..."

"What do you expect, Bruce? You're the one who trained her." Selina stood, heading to leave. "At most, punish her for disobeying orders. But not for going with me."

"Selina, wait. You have cats, you're Catwoman... know any good vets?"

Selina cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I do. Why?"

"I'm getting her microchipped."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I doubt vets do that for children, Bruce."

"Right, I'll probably have to google it..."

Selina sighed. "You are a hopeless father sometimes, you know that?" she said, and Bruce looked genuinely hurt for a moment. She stepped closer. "But you're lucky you have such loving kids..." she said quietly, before she planted a long, slow kiss on his lips and was gone.


	34. The Tooth, Part 1

"Eat up, Scarlet." Bruce said. He noticed his daughter had hardly touched her food...

"I'm not very hungry, Tati." Scarlet said calmly. "Can I be done?"

"Scarlet, you didn't eat anything but the mashed potatoes." Bruce said, looking skeptical. "You sure you're feeling alright?"

"Fine." Scarlet tensed up slightly at what he was insinuating. Bruce studied her fr a moment longer, noticing she'd paled slightly, before nodding. "Fine. But I want you t eat a good breakfast tomorrow..."

But she'd already run upstairs...

Bruce sighed. "I wonder what's gotten into her."

Dick shrugged. "Whatever it is, Bruce, she didn't tell me." he assured them.

"Brush your teeth, Scarlet, and I'll come tuck you in." Bruce called upstairs.

"Okay, Tati." Scarlet crept into the bathroom, dreading the process of brushing her teeth. She yipped slightly as the brush made contact with her teeth and grated against her teeth, and she jumped back...

Of course, Bruce heard it. "You alright up there, Scarlet?" Bruce asked.

"Fine, Tati!" Scarlet said, trying to keep her cool as she hurriedly brushed despite the pain, biting back the pained noises and only whimpering slightly, before spitting hurriedly spit into the sink...

She could hear Bruce mounting the stairs, probably coming to make sure she was alright, and she stared at the normally white toothpaste, surprised to see it red and her tooth brush bloody...

"Scarlet?" Bruce asked, and Scarlet quickly washed the bloody mess down the drain, hiding her bloody tooth brush behind her back...

"Scarlet, are you okay?" Bruce asked, looking concerned. He could've sworn he'd heard her yelp in pain...

"Fine, Tati." Scarlet said. Bruce didn't look convinced, and she flashed him a smile, remembering to hide her slightly bloody teeth with her lips... Even eatting dinner had hurt, which was why she'd only eatten mashed potatoes...

"Tati, I have to go to the bathroom..." Scarlet said, and Bruce nodded, allowing her to close the door and going to wait for her in her bedroom. Scarlet stood on the little aqua stool Bruce had bought for her and stared in the mirror, smiling and grimacing as she looked at her bloody mouth, scrubbing away at the blood with her hand before flushing the tolite, ran the water in the sink, and then walked out to bed...

"Goodnight, Scarlet."

"G'night, Tati." Scarlet said, allowing Bruce to tuck the covers in around her and turn off the lights, before leaving her alone... Ugg. She could taste the blood in her mouth, bitter and metallic, but there was NO way she was telling Bruce her mouth hurt. Then he'd take her back to the awful dentist... (remember chapter 12, people) She grabbed a tissue from her nightstand, pressing it to the loose tooth and ending up soaking it with blood before grabbing another tissue and finally stopping the blood... She was scared. Very scared.

Dick's teeth had fallen out, of course, she'd seen it, especially while they'd traveled through France and Russia with the circus. And the little mouse in france had come at night and taken the tooth from under the pillow, replacing it with coins... In Russia they'd throw the tooth away in the hopes the little mouse from France would find it and give them a new one... And when they were settled down with other gypsies and Dick lost a tooth, an older gypsy had insisted they burn it, so it wouldn't be used in magic, since gypsy belief stated things like human teeth could be used in black magic...

She remembered how sad Dick had been to see his baby tooth burned away, but their father had placed a hand on Dick's shoulder, promising him that the little tooth mouse would be able to find it in the ashes...

But that wasn't what she was worried about. She was worried that if her tooth fell out, Bruce would make her go to the dentist to get it put back in or something, because he'd said the dentist was good at fixing teeth, and she hated the dentist...

She fell into a worry-filled sleep... She was up early in the morning, when she clenched her jaw in her sleep and choked on some blood. She sighed, grabbing another tissue and staunching the blood with it. Maybe it would be good if the tooth DID fall out, and maybe she could hide it from Bruce...

Either way, she was hungry. The mashed potatoes from last night had left her hungry, and she went downstairs, wondering if she could heat some left over potatoes up before Bruce got up so she wasn't questioned about her meal choice...

Bruce heard her get up, though. It was before dawn, and it was after the fourth of July, summer break, so he wondered what she'd be wanting this early...

Bruce strode out of his room- he'd done patrol last night with Dick, since Scarlet had willingly gone to bed, and he noticed something disturbing in her room...

Three blood covered tissues sat on the nightstand, not just spotted, but literally still damp with the blood, his baby's blood, he realized with horror. He was hurrying after his daughter a moment later, feeling his heard in his throat...

"Scarlet!" he wanted to demand where the blood came from, if she wasn't still bleeding and possibly able to cry out for help...

Bruce's yell startled Scarlet, who was at the top of the stairs, and she jumped back like a cat, ending up tumbling down the stairs...

"Scarlet!" Bruce yelled, running to the banister, now totally freaked out...

Scarlet ended up sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, and she spit her tooth onto the rug, along with some blood, startled and upset now that Bruce would see the gap in her teeth and take her to the dentist...

"Scarlet!" Bruce ran downstairs in his grey sweatpants and sleeveless t-shirt, feeling utterly helpless since he'd seen her fall...

"Alfred!" Bruce called, moving to kneel beside Scarlet. "What hurts, sweetie, what hurts?"

"M-my mouth..." Sparrow said, and Bruce slowly sat her up, hands expertly feeling for broken bones and checking for a concussion...

"Open up for me." Bruce ordered, as Alfred rushed into the room. "Alfred, I need a first aid kit." Bruce said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing at the blood that dripped from her nose and mouth. For once he was glad for the posh society rule that insisted upon always having a handkerchief...

"Looks like you lost a tooth, Scarlet..." Bruce said, finding the small baby tooth in the rug. Scarlet cried even harder. Bruce was probably going to drag her to the awful desntist again...

"What's wrong, birdie?" Bruce asked, feeling fearful still.

"My... my tooth's gone. You're gonna take me to the awful dentist to get it fixed!" Scarlet cried, burying her head in her father's chest.

Bruce looked utterly confused as Alfred entered with a first aid kit.

"Might I ask why you believe you will be going to the dentist, Master Scarlet?" Alfred asked, seeing Bruce was utterly clueless.

"C-cuz Bruce said the dentist fixes teeth... and mine's gone..." Scarlet hiccuped.

Bruce's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Scarlet, no, you don't have to go to the dentist. Those teeth are supposed to fall out, a new one grows, it's normal... Didn't Dick's teeth fall out?"

"Yeah, but Mamica and Tati never took us to the dentist. I figured it you took us to the dentist for no reason, you'd definitely take us for a missing tooth..." Scarlet said, sniffing.

"Scarlet?" Dick asked, bleary eyed fro, upstairs.

"Hey Dickie, my tooth fell out!" Scarlet said, suddenly excited.

"Really? So the tooth mouse is coming tonight, then?" Dick asked, and Bruce stared.

Dick's eyes pleaded for him to play along, so he did. "Right, the tooth mouse..."

"Sweet! And now I can actually eat! I can't wait until the tooth mouse comes! I'll go put it under my pillow!" Scarlet said, and as soon as she was out of earshot, Bruce shot Dick a desperate look.

"The tooth mouse is the French version of the tooth fairy- they believe a little mouse leaves coins in exchange for your tooth under your pillow." Dick said. "We were on tour in France when I lost most of my teeth, and sometime in Europe and Russia... She believes it."

"So, I have to be the tooth MOUSE?" Bruce asked, shocked. He hadn't even considered having to be the tooth fairy for Scarlet, let alone the tooth MOUSE.

Dick nodded. "Well, yeah. She's six, she still believes in those things, Bruce..." Dick said. Bruce nodded, still slightly shocked. What had he gotten himself into?


	35. The Tooth Part 2

Bruce wasn't a fairy or a mouse, he realized, as he entered Scarlet's room that night. He had a ten dollar bill clutched tightly in his right hand and was trying to be quiet. Dick had aided him in telling hm what his parents had done, but it'd been much simpler, because in their train car, they all slept in one cozy bed together.

He remembered the conversation he'd had with Dick a few minutes before in the kitchen.

"So, I just sneak in, take the tooth, leave the money, and sneak out, right?" he asked.

"Yes. But you have to be careful. Scarlet's light sleeper." Dick had warned him, and Bruce felt slightly apprehensive.

"Can't you do this, Dick? I mean, you're smaller, quieter..."

"No. What if she caught me, Bruce, she'd never trust me again. If I said I was helping the tooth mouse, she wouldn't believe me. But if she wakes up on you, you can say you were checking to see if the tooth mouse came or that the tooth mouse is friends with Batman or something and just give her the money." Dick said, and Bruce sighed. He hated to admit it, but he was NERVOUS.

His daughter's belief in magic was in his hands, and he'd never been a tooth fairy before.

"Hmmm..." Scarlet muttered in her sleep, and Bruce froze. He was Batman, He should be able to use his stealth to get the tooth and deposit the money no problem. But he'd taught Scarlet to listen to the slightest sounds, the littlest disturbances, and in the room that was so princess-themed, with stupid princess dolls that she made do stunts and stuff laying on the floor, it was like walking through a minefield.

In retrospect, the princess themed room was SO not Scarlet. But he could worry about that later.

He reached the side of her bed and slid his hand cautiously under the pillow, groping in the darkness for a moment untl e found it nd sliding the ten under the pillow... He was oretty good a this, he realized, ans he smiled, and took a step towards the door... Right onto the talking barbie doll.

"Believe in yourself." it chirped. Scarlet stirred, and Bruce ran for it, all confidence evaporated He stubbed his toe on the dresser, but made it out of the room as barbie continued talking, making it out before Scarlet woke up...

He found Dick waiting outside, looking anxious. "You did it?" he whispered worriedly.

"Yes. How many more teeth does the kid have to lose?"


	36. The Vault

"Scarlet?" Roy called, looking around the watch tower, confused.

Scarlet had walked through the open door to the vault in the watch tower, and was staring at all the piles of different currency. Roy noticed the open door to the vault and sighed- of course, the excited six year old would go through an open door .

"Hey Scarlet." Roy said calmly, entering behind her.

Scarlet smiled. "Look at all the money, Roy! This is the kind of money Tati had while we were in France..."

"Scarlet? You in here?" Wally asked, and Dick and he entered behind him...

"Dick! Look, there's the money from Russia Tati used..." Scarlet said. Dick nodded and grinned, picking up some money with an odd design on it. "Yeah. This one's from China, you were just born, you probably don't remember it..."

"No, but I remember Greenland..." Scarlet said, grinning as she set some foreign money back in its place. The League could have to go to any country, they always kept a a stockpile of various currency in the watchtower.

"The ice and snow. What about Scotland?" Dick asked, curious to how much she'd remember...

"So much green rolling hills..."

"Russia?" Dick asked, curious.

"It was so cold..." Scarlet said, and Dick smiled slightly, remembering...

_Scarlet was in the train car, along with the rest of the Graysons. Instead of separate bunks, they had a large, queen size bed that folded down from the wall, but it wasn't bedtime, so the Graysons instead sat on the bench of the one side of there compartment... The normally warm train was cold, freezing cold, the cold seemed to seep into the car, icy fingers clawing at them..._

_Scarlet looked the worst, though, slightly pale and shivering fiercely, since she was the smallest. "Cold, birdie?" John asked, smiling gently as he wrapped her in a wool blanket and pulled her into his lap. "It's clear Scarlets aren't a snowbird..."_

_"Am too..." Scarlet, said pouting. She wanted to prove to her father she was tough enough to be a Grayson and travel the world..._

_"John, don't tease her..." Mary said, though she was smiling. Dick watched the exchange from where his mother had him wrapped in her shawl with him... He was comfortable, feeling at just the right temperature and near his mother, who was warm and smelled perpetually like lavender..._

_"Oh, she knows I'm just kidding..." John said, planting a kiss on her forehead. Scarlet, to her credit, had stopped shaking like a leaf and now nuzzled into John Grayson's warm, strong chest... Dick smiled from where he sat with his mother. He remembered the times when he'd slept like that, feeling warm and safe against his father, but Scarlet seemed to have taken a liking to his father's lap to sleep on, so he instead nuzzled against his mother. He was deliciously warm, now, from his head to his toes, and he smiled, nuzzling happily against his mother..._

Dick's memory was interrupted by the slam of a door. Flash had walked by and noticed someone left the door to the vault open and promptly closed it...

"Oh crap." Roy said.

"Let us out! Let us out! I'm claustrophobic!" Wally yelled, banging on the door.

"Wally, we're in a room, not a flat rate shipping box." Dick said, and no one came to the door.

"I Don't care! We're trapped! We can't get out! WE CAN'T GET OUT!" Wally said, and Scarlet fell to the floor laughing.

"What's funny? We're stuck in a vault!" Roy said, less calm than he'd wanted to appear.

"Wally's- Wally's afraid- of Santa Clause..." Scarlet said.

Roy sighed, "I'm not even going to TRY to correct that incredibly overused misconception..." Roy said, sighing.

"I'll call Batman. He can get us out." Dick said, grinning.

Batman was, like always, in a meeting when his comm beeped. He sighed, answering. "Dick, what is it?" he asked. This had better be good...

"We're locked in the vault." Dick said calmly.

"We?"

"Wally, Roy, Scarlet- the whole shebang. Wally's having a panic attack, he's afraid of Santa Claus, apparently, and Roy's getting grumpy... Mind getting us out?"

Batman stared for a minute, trying to make sense of what his son had just said. "Fine. I'll be over in a minute." Batman said firmly. He was surprised to see the rest of the leaguers follow him, including an anxious Flash and Green Arrow...

"I didn't mean to shut them in, I just saw the door was open. They must've been inside..." Flash said, loosing several shades of color.

"The walls are closing in! We're going to die!" Wally yelled.

"Oh crap. Wally! Wally, listen to me! You'll be fine!" Flash yelled through the vault door, trying to calm his nephew...

"Wally! Santa isn't here, it's okay!" Scarlet yelled, and Wally stopped screaming for a moment and stared. "Santa?"

"Yeah, Santa. He's not here." Roy said, glad Wally had finally stopped his ear piecing scream.

"Bummer. Did I have a panic attack?" Wally asked.

"Yes." Everyone said, and Wally sighed. "Oh. That happens sometimes..."

"I need you to listen to me, kids." Superman said. "This vault is on a time lock. It can only be opened after twelve hours have elapsed since the last time it was opened... Kids? You alright?" Superman hadn't meant to frighten them, and he silence stretched for an entire minute...

"Who's dumb idea was that?" Scarlet asked finally, breaking the silence.

"Mine." Batman growled, not at all pleased that the kids would be stuck in the vault for the next twelve hours.

"Gee, thanks Dad." Dick said sarcastically.

"I told you not t wander into strange places." Batman said.

"Look, I saw pretty colors and wanted to get a closer look!" Scarlet said.

"Wait wait wait, you mean we're stuck in here for TWELVE WHOLE HOURS?" Roy asked.

The silence on the other end was all the answer he needed, and he gulped.

"And Scarlet's never sat still for more than one at most, unless she's asleep or unconscious..." Roy muttered...

"Wooo! Party!" Scarlet said, grinning and jumping onto a pile of money. "We can take a money bath!"

"No! All the currency is organized..." Superman said, but he stopped ehen he heard a crash as a stack of money fell over and bills fluttering.

"It's raining money!" Wally said, grinning.

"Money angels!" Dick said, jumping in. Roy sighed. It was going to be a long twelve hours.


	37. The Vault Part 2

**MINUTE 0 TO 59**

"Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around- ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall!"

Hawkman sighed- he really hated this song.

"Hey, just be glad they didn't decide to rip money." Superman said calmly.

Batman sighed, as well. "Let's hope they don't sing the whole time..."

"Ninety six bottles of beer on the wall, ninety six bottles of beer!"

Green Arrow sighed. "Think we can just... walk away, and come back in twelve hours?"

"No. They might get hurt or something, you can't just leave small children in a vault..." Batman said.

"I am not a child! I'm a teenager!" Roy yelled, before he rejoined them. They were are ninety four bottles of beer, now.

"Right..." Oliver mumbled. It was going to be a LONG twelve hours.

They sang all the way down to -11 bottles of beer, until Wally mentioned that having negative beer would mean that someone was probably puking the beer back up, which grossed them all out into silence.

**HOURS 1-2**

Silence. All the leaguers had forgotten the sweet reprieve of wonderful, blessed silence...

"Oh my gosh- they're quiet! They must be dead!" Flash yelled, clawing at the vault door frantically."I'm going to vibrate myself through!"

"What's the point? You'll just have to vibrate back out, you can't vibrate their molecules with you..." Hawkwoman said.

"Wow. You were right, they really did freak out at sudden silence." Wally whispered. Roy nodded serenely from where was sitting, knees pulled back against his chest, in the back of the vault. He put a finger to his lips...

He wondered how freaked out they could get the leaguers by being out of sight, behind the vault doors, in the back of the safe, behind the currency, and most of all, being silent.

"Kids? You alright in there?" Superman asked, feeling panic rise within him. It showed in his voice. The kids all grinned and pressed there hands to their mouths to contained the giggles of laughter at there freaked out mentors...

"Very funny, Roy. I know you're just doing this to freak us out. It won't work." Oliver said.

The kids all looked shocked, but Roy shook his head, still motioning for them to remain silent.

When the silence broke the five minute mark, the leaguers really began to worry. Then there was a crash as Wally accidentally knocked over a pile of currency, and they all stared, wide eyed...

"What was that!?" Batman demanded, though he, too, sounded concerned.

Oliver simply gawked, looking incredibly worried.

"Areyouguysokay!? Say something, say something, please!" Flash yelled, frantic, and they burst out laughing.

"Okay, that was SO not funny! We thought you were dead!" Oliver said, kicking the door of the vault to show his frustration. The kids simply laughed even harder. They'd fallen into the pile of money, clutching their aching sides from laughter...

Oliver sighed, though he smiled slightly, as did Batman... It was good to hear their laughter after the silence...

"I'm BORED!" Wally said finally.

"Money fight!" Dick said, tossing a handful of the mixed bills at Wally.

"Money tornado!" Wally yelled, running in a circle until the money swirled around them from the wind he was making, except for a few pallets of bundled, stacked currency to the right...

"Cool! It's like a rainbow of awesomeness!" Scarlet said, grinning.

"Ahh!" Roy's pained scream seemed to echo. "Paper cut, paper cut! Wally, stop!"

"That's what you get for going sleeveless." Dick said as Wally stopped running. Roy clutched his wounded arm and shot Dick an annoyed glare.

"IIIIIIIIIIII KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES! I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES! AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES!" Scarlet said. Instantly, Wally joined her in repeating the song, and eventually Dick joined in, and finally, Roy, who was shaking his head and grinning...

"WE KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES!" they chorused.

"Oh Hera, they're SINGING AGAIN." Wonder Woman said, face palming.

"Just roll with it." Flash said, sighing. "Just roll with it."

**HOURS 3-4**

"How long have we been in here?" Dick asked. He was starting to get really, really antsy.

"Three hours. You've got nine more." Batman said.

There was a sigh from behind the door, then Scarlet's bright voice. "Hey guys! I made a paper airplane out of money! See?"

Followed by Roy's, "Ow! My eye!"

"That wasn't supposed to happen..." Scarlet said, sounding apologetic.

"I'm getting tired if getting hurt by you guys..." Roy grumbled.

"Let's make a paper airplane airforce!" Wally yelled, and instantly there was the sound of dollar bills creasing and paper rustling...

"I call the russian money! Soviet Vrussia vill rule!" Wally yelled.

To which Scarlet replied something in Russian, totally freaking Wally out.

"W-what did you just say?" he demanded.

Scarlet laughed, and Dick replied with something equally as Russian.

"Oh my gosh, Barry, HELP! They're Russian spies!" Wally yelled.

"We are not. We just speak Russian." Scarlet said, tossing a plane from the paper airplane airforce. Roy looked slightly surprised.

"You two are fluent?"

"Well, yeah. We spent a year touring it, and then we crossed through the border like six times on our way back to France and Europe, so we picked it up..."

"Where have you guys been?" Wally asked, looking interested.

"A better question is where HAVEN'T we been. Russia, France, Europe, Canada, USA, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Greenland, Germany..."

"Cuba!" Scarlet added.

"We weren't SUPPOSED to be in cuba, but, yeah, we got separated in the airport and took the wrong plane..." Dick said, and Roy stared.

"How old were you?"

"Well, I was six and Scarlet was three, so we couldn't really figure out which flight to get on once the crowd separated the circus crew..." Dick said calmly.

"I think I remember that. Didn't we end up in that ghetto motel for the night?" Scarlet asked.

"Yeah, we did, until the whole circus flew back in the next day. The Cuban authorities had no idea where we went, though, but they had one of the wolves they used in the acts track us down..."

"No way. You're lying." Wally said, crossing his arms.

"I'm not, you can google it. There was a huge press frenzy over it and they improved airport security measures and stuff after that." Dick said calmly. "And the circus never came back to Cuba..."

"Are you guys serious?" Flash asked, sounding shocked.

"You think I'd make something like this up? Google Graysons 2003." Dick said, and Batman chuckled, looking at the headlines that'd popped up on his wrist computer. "He's right."

"And the worst part is, we didn't even speak Spanish. And while we were walking to the motel, this shirtless dude comes running up to us screaming like a madman..." Dick said.

"Oh my gosh, what did you do?" Wally demanded.

"Well Scarlet freaked out and kicked him, he screamed something about being Penguino, and we ran. And THAT is why we hate Cuba." Dick said. "It's kinda funny in hindsight, but the motel we were in was old and abandoned, and we kept hearing gunshots all night, so it was kinda scary..."

"I didn't hear any gunshots." Scarlet said, looking confused.

"Because you fell asleep. I stayed up all night, making sure no one tried to come in... there was no lock on the door, and we were too small to move the bed in front of the door or anything..."

"They always were a magnet for trouble." Batman said in response to the shocked looks the leaguers were giving him. "Even before they were heroes."

**HOURS 4-5**

"I'm so BORED!" Wally yelled.

"Where'd Scarlet go?" Roy asked, looking around.

"Up here-ahhh!" Scarlet yelped as the large pile of currency she'd been standing on fell, and she face-planted on the ground with a crash...

"Scarlet!" Roy waded through the currency and turned her over...

"Oh my gosh, she's bleeding!" Wally yelled, staring at the blood that was on the currency...

"What's happening!? Scarlet, answer me!" Batman yelled, slightly frantic. A muffled sob sounded from inside the vault and

Batman froze, feeling the terror and helplessness of a desperate father well up within him. His baby was hurt, trapped in a vault, and there was no way he could get to her...

"Dick, give me some of your cape to stop the bleeding..." Roy ordered, pulling Scarlet onto his lap. "Where'd you get hit, Scarlet?"

Scarlet spit in reply, and a tooth landed on the floor.

"Sweet! She lost a tooth!" Dick said, trying desperately to cheer up his obviously shaken sister as Roy held the bloody cape corner to her mouth.

"The tooth mouse will come now, right?" he asked, holding up the slightly bloody tooth, and Scarlet nodded hesitantly, still holding onto Roy...

"The tooth mouse?" Wally asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes! The little mouse that comes to take your teeth away!" Dick said, punching Wally in the arm. The fierce expression on his face dared him to tell his sister the tooth mouse wasn't real, barred teeth showing he'd tear him limb from limb if he did...

"Oh! The tooth mouse!" Wally said, playing along as he rubbed his arm, though he was completely lost. "Yeah, the tooth mouse, I thought you said... tooth louse..." he said lamely.

"So did I. But, hey the tooth mouse will come, right?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, I guess..." Scarlet said, looking less pale than she had a moment ago.

"Wait. Is everyone alright?" Flash asked.

"And who's the tooth mouse?" Oliver asked, looking confused.

"Oliver doesn't know who the tooth mouse is because... because he's from Canada!" Dick said, thinking fast.

"Everyone's fine!" Roy called out.

Oliver stared. "I'm from Wash-" But Batman had slammed his gloved hand over Oliver's mouth.

"Scarlet was raised in France for awhile, where they believe a little mouse cane and took the teeth you lost. Now shut up." Batman hissed, fierce in Daddy Bats mode again.

"Ugg. My mout id all blooty," Scarlet lisped, and Roy had ti smile at her cuteness.

"It'll stop in a minute, birdie." He assured her.

"I bort." Scarlet muttered.

"What?" Flash asked.

"She said she's bored." Dick said.

"This means war! Thumb war, that is!" Wally yelled, and Scarlet giggled as they circled, ready to thumb-war. Roy watched the boy's theatrical performance, watching from where Scarlet was settled in his lap, and smiled wearily. Only seven hours to go.


	38. Stellaluna

**HOURS 5-6**

"My thumb! I think it's broken!" Wally yelled.

"What?! I'm sorry, Wally, I didn't mean to... Lemme see..." Dick said, looking anxious. Wally socked Dick in the face, grinning. "Sucker!"

"Why you little..." Dick said, clutching his bloody nose...

"No hitting!" Roy yelled.

"Don't hit my brother!" Scarlet launched herself at Wally, sinking her teeth into his upper arm...

"Ah! Get her off, get her off!" Wally yelled, flailing.

"Scarlet, no biting!" Roy yelled, trying to pull her off Wally. "The kid's got a death grip!"

"Scarlet- stop." Batman said, and Scarlet released.

"Come on Tati, I didn't even go for the jugular..." Scarlet said, and Batman smiled slightly. So she had been listening when they watched documentaries on animals and how they fought...

"Even without that tooth, the kid still bites like heck." Roy said, and Scarlet gave him a gap-toothed grin.

"Okay, no more fighting, biting, or physical contact!" Barry yelled.

"But Roy said I could sit on his lap..." Scarlet said, sounding disappointed.

"Only if you don't bite anyone else." Roy said.

"Deal!" Scarlet said, jumping into her surrogate brother's lap. "Told you I was getting good at this bargaining stuff, Tati!" She called.

"You're not ready to negotiate hostage situations, regardless." Batman said, and some leaguers chuckled.

"Well she is pretty good at biting." Dick pointed out.

"Yeah, if she has any teeth left. At the rate they're all falling out, she might not have any." Roy pointed out.

**HOURS 6-7**

"Wally, got any fives?" Dick asked.

"Yes." Wally grumbled, handing a five dollar bill from the small hand he held.

"Scarlet, got any twos? There aren't many two dollar bills, but..."

"I have no idea what any of these things say, how should I know?" Scarlet asked, throwing down some foreign money. "I never went to the Philippines..."

"Maybe we should all play with US currency." Roy suggested.

"No, there aren't enough denominations to make a full deck..." Dick sighed.

"So go fish is out, then." Wally said. "We could have another money fight..."

"That's just too boring..." Dick sighed.

"Quick- this is life or death- think of fruits starting with the letter A!" Scarlet yelled.

"Apricots!" Wally yelled.

"Avacados!" Roy added.

"Ashwagandah!" Dick put in, and everyone stared at him.

"What? We lived around the world, remember?"

"Ashwagandah is SO made up, Mr. Smarty-Pants!" Wally yelled.

"Is not! It's a little red-orange berry with ons of health-benefits!" Dick said.

"I never had any." Scarlet said.

"That's because you weren't born yet when we had them."

"Yeah, RIGHT." Roy said. And so the remainder of the hour was spent on arguing about the existence of Ashwagandah.

**HOURS 7-8**

"Hey, what the heck are these?" Scarlet asked, pulling out some pieces of paper.

"They look like negotiable stocks and bonds." Roy said, staring.

"What?" Scarlet asked, looking confused.

And the remainder of that hour was spent listening to Roy rattle off about what negotiable stocks and bonds were, how they worked, and how the heck he knew about this...

**HOURS 8-9**

Scarlet burst into tears.

"Scarlet, what's wrong?" Batman asked.

"Roy's been talking about negotiable stocks and bonds for an hour and a half, and I STILL don't get it!" she said, curling into a ball, knees to her chest, sobbing.

"You don't HAVE to get it, Scarlet, you're only six..." Batman tried to reason.

"But YOU get it, don't you?" Scarlet hiccuped, still crying.

"Yes, but that's because I'm a business man..."

"I wanna be a business man!" Scarlet cried, tears still falling.

"Scarlet, you're not a man..." Dick said.

And then Wally started to cry.

"Wally, what's wrong?" Barry asked, freaking out.

"I'm bored and hungry!" Wally cried. The reality of it was, all the kids were exhausted, tired, and just wanted OUT of the vault...

"And I'm tired..." Dick admitted, sounding close to tears himself.

"Well now I feel bad. See Ollie? This is what you get for teaching me economics!" Roy said, feeling frustrated.

The three youngest were inconsolable then, crying their eyes out, though the leaguers tried desperately to comfort them...

"We're gonna die here! I'm hungry, Uncle Barry!" Wally wailed.

And they kept crying.

They tried everything, singing, cracking jokes, EVERYTHING, but after a half hour, they were still crying without an rest...

**HOURS 9-10**

Once they hit the nine hour mark, Roy started to cry a bit, too.

"Roy? Why are YOU crying?" Oliver asked, slightly surprised. He'd never seen Roy cry before...

"Because... because real men cry, okay, Ollie!? And I am a REAL MAN!" Roy said, In truth, he was exhausted, hungry, stiff from being in the vault for so long, and had gotten a monster headache from all the crying...

Superman sighed. "It's clear they aren't going to cry themselves out anytime soon..."

"Well you can't really blame them. They're hungry and tired and scared in there. And they are just kids..." Superman pointed out.

"Yeah, but still, we should be able to do SOMETHING." Oliver said, looking annoyed. He turned to Batman. "You've been a father for the longest, what do we do!?"

Batman sighed. "It's a shot in the dark, but it might work..."

* * *

 

 _"Stellaluna swooped about a tree, and the birds grasped a branch. Stellaluna hung from a limb above them."_ Batman said. He was almost finished.

"Do the voices, Tati, do the voices..." Dick said, but he was cut off by a huge yawn...

Batman sighed.

 _"'We're safe. I wish you could see in the dark, too.'_ " he squeaked, in his best Stellaluna impersonation. To his surprise, neither Roy, Wally, Scarlet, or Dick laughed at the Batman, who was currently reading Stellaluna to them AND doing the voices- they were too enraptured in the story.

 _"And we wish you could land on your feet!"_ Batman chirped, impersonating the birds in the story. "They perched in silence for a long time."

Inside the vault, the children had long-since fallen silent. Scarlet was leaning against Roy's chest, blinking sleepily from where they were all perched against a pile of currency. Roy and Dick were on either side of Roy, both leaning against him in a pile of pleasantly warm limbs, feeling actually safe as they were snuggled together.

 _"How can we be so different and feel so much alike?"_ Batman paused, changing to he voice of another bird. _"And how can we feel so different and be so much alike?"_ he paused again. _"I think this is quite a mystery."_ he said.

Inside the vault, all the children exchanged glances. Each was thinking the same thing. They were so different, but they did feel so alike, and though they felt different, they WERE alike a little. But they already knew the answer to the mystery. They were different in some ways, alike in others, but it didn't really matter to them, because they were a FAMILY.

 _"I agree. But we're friends, and that's a fact."_ Batman squeaked, being Stellaluna once again. But all the kids were already asleep.

"I think they're asleep." Hawkwoman said, listening, There was no sound, except for the breathing of four children when they strained to hear it...

"How did you know?" Wonder Woman asked, looking at Batman, surprised.

Batman shrugged, looking relaxed as he closed the Stellaluna book. "It's Scarlet's favourite, and though Dick doesn't say anything, I know he likes it too..."

Of course they loved it. Scarlet had come home from the school book fair with the now well-worn copy, intent on him reading it before she went to bed, and he'd complied, because honestly, he'd never seen the girl so excited about a book before.

And it was about bats and birds, and family, so of course he and Dick couldn't help but love it too... It was as though the author had known about the bat family as she wrote the book...

"You really read them stories?" Superman asked, looking shocked. He hadn't known much of the bat family's home life, but he found it hard to believe that Batman or Bruce Wayne would read his children bedtime stories.

"Like you said, Boy Scout- they're just kids." was all he said, before he tucked the book away.

**12TH HOUR**

The leaguers all entered the vault to fond an incredibly cute scene before them- Scarlet was snuggled against Roy's chest, With Dickg nuzzled into Roy's side, and Wally had his head on Roy's shoulder from where he sat in the other side of the boy. They were all asleep, looking like angels...

Wonder Woman may or may not have snapped pictures before they moved the sleeping kids to their mentor's rooms.


	39. Halloween

"Hey Roy." Robin said, and Roy looked or to see both heroes toting hollowed-our plastic pumpkins...

"What's with the pumpkins?" Roy asked, and Sparrow grinned. "It's halloween, you dope! We're going trick-or-treating!"

"Sparrow- we were supposed to ask him to take us really nicely and use the puppy eyes!" Robin scolded, before sighed. "Batman totally forgot about Halloween, so we were wondering if you'd take us trick-or-treating."

Roy stared. He remembered the mouthwash incident. The first time they were left alone together. The vault. Getting lost in the watchtower...

"No."

"But why?" Robin asked, looking disappointed.

"Because every time I do something with you guys it turns out horribly wrong." Roy said matter-of-factly.

"Are... are you saying you don't like us?" Sparrow's small voice asked, and Roy looked over to see the six-year-old's lip trembling and eyes sparkling with unshed tears that were welling up at alarming speed...

"No, it's not that..."

"So we're bad luck?" Robin asked, voice quivering as well.

"No, guys, it's SO not that, it's just..."

"You don't love us?" Sparrow asked, a tear trailing down her cheek.

"No, guys, you're taking this totally out of context..."

"I loved you, Roy..." Robin said, looking like a kicked puppy.

Roy sighed. "Fine! I'll take you trick-or-treating!" he said. Instantly, the eyes of both Bat children were dry, and Sparrow grinned.

"Wally, you can come out now!" she said, and Wally bounced out from hiding, holding his own pumpkin.

"Trickortreatingtrickortreatingtrickortreating!" he bounced happily on the balls of his feet, and Roy realized they'd been planning this and sighed. What had he gotten himself into?

"Okay, you need costumes..." Roy said. The three children looked at him like he was dumb.

"We ARE wearing costumes, Roy." Wally said, looking at him. "We're in our superhero costumes, remember?"

"You three can't go out like that..."

"It's HALLOWEEN, Roy, this is the only night of the year we CAN go out like this in public and not be swarmed. Everyone else will think we're just kids dressed up like Speedy, KF, Robin and Sparrow. It's foolproof." Robin said.

The kid had a point, Roy realized, and he sighed. "Fine. Give me a second." he hurried into Green Arrow's room and tugged the case off his pillow. "If I'm going through this, I'm at least getting SOME candy out of it." he explained. "Now come on- let's get to Star City. The league meeting won't last forever."

They zetaed down to Star City, since it was the only place Roy knew well enough to take them through.

They found there way through the back alleys to make the best time, heading up through every apartment building and getting candy from every door..

More than once, Roy had to stop and take them to Tops so they could take empty bags from the self-checkout to dump the overflowing pumpkins into...

"Okay, are we good?" Roy asked.

"Not quite..." Wally said. He'd gone through his whole bag of candy on the way in. "Can I use my speed, just this once?"

Roy sighed. "Fine. But be COVERT..." Wally was already gone, running into the apartment building on the left, running between the doors and trick-or-treating when he reached them...

"Okay, I think I'm good." Wally announced, when he'd filled six pumpkins full of candy and dumped them into his tops bag.

"Okay..." Roy announced.

Robin looked over to see three shadowy figures standing on the fire escape of a building. "Sparrow..."

"I see them." Sparrow whispered all too loudly so that both Wally and Roy heard.

"What're they doing?" Wally asked, looking confused.

"Maybe they'e just setting up a prank..." Roy said, but he, too, was uneasy.

"Why do they have guns, then?" Sparrow asked, pointing.

That was when Roy felt his blood run cold- alone, he'd be able to take down one, maybe, before the others shot him, but not three...

"Sparrow! Robin!" Roy hissed, but the two children were already moving stealthily towards the base of the fire escape. Robin leapt up, not making a sound, and Sparrow did the same, her brother expertly catching her hands and pulling her up beside him...

"You two get back down here, now!" Roy hissed, but they didn't hear him, they were too intent on stopping these people, and Roy didn't want to yell and give the thieves any advanced warning...

"Wally, stay put." Roy ordered, moving to climb up after his surrogate siblings, who were already on the second level of the fire escape, heading towards the fourth, where the men were at work...

Wally stared with wide eyes, realizing his help was needed, before staring at the locked door... He moved to pick the lock and succeeded, racing up the staircase with all the speed he had...

"Nice night, isn't it?" Robin asked from where he and Sparrow were perched on the railing of the fire escape, behind the robbers, who froze...

One of them reached for there guns... Roy was on the story below them, he could imagine the pull of the trigger, the gasp of pan, the blood droplets raining down on him and the anguished scream from the sibling who hadn't yet been shot...

But it never came. There was the shattering of glass as Wally burst through the window from the inside, swiping guns from all the men, and the sound of battle as Sparrow and Robin, seeing their chance, pounced.

Roy realized another man had a second gun. He saw the metal glint by the moonlight, saw it through the apparent spider-web of mesh metal that separated him from his siblings... Each gap was about an inch or two wide, and as the man took aim, Roy's eyes narrowed dangerously, his fingers nimbly grabbing an arrow from his quiver as he notched it in the bow and pulled back, taking careful aim... It'd have to be a perfect shot to make it through the tiny gap and manage to hit the man... But he released, certain as he did so it'd find it's mark...

The man yelped as the arrow exploded into foam, encasing him and rendering his gun useless...

"Sparrow! Robin!" Roy hustled up the ladder in time to find the two acrobats slapping cuffs on the remaining two... Sirens screamed right on cue, and Roy got out the ropes...

Wally left the guns alined neatly on the sidewalk, and two minutes later, the cops arrived to find three restrained robbers, hanging from the fire escape by their bound wrists, swaying slightly in the breeze.

They were so preoccupied by hearing the testimonies of the excited trick-or-treaters who'd seen the thing go down to notice the hand reach out of the shadows in the alley and grab a plastic bag filled with candy that a certain speedster had discarded a few moments earlier to help his friends, or the four figures who stole off into the night, all with bags of candy, grinning...

* * *

 

"Didn't you guys go trick-or-treating?" Black Canary asked as the leaguers emerged from there meeting, surprised to find the sidekicks on the couch, watching TV.

Sparrow shrugged, but she was grinning, and all of them were popping pieces of candy from a mixing bowl...

_"In other news, Speedy, Kid Flash, Robin, and Sparrow were seen foiling an attempted robbery at the Star City museum. The scene was observed and taped by some local trick-or-treaters with a smart phone, who quickly called the police, but it's clear from the footage that these were no costumed-look alikes. Let's see the video."_

The kids all exchanged nervous glances and Robin reached for the remote to change the channel, but Batman pulled it away before he could...

They watched the video, and Roy realized they looked... skilled... as Wally grabbed the guns from the men, he shot off the arrow, and Sparrow and Robin moved in to take down the men, while Wally skillfully evaded the men who attempted to regain their weapons...

"You went out in costume?" Oliver asked, shocked by there audacity. "You could've been recognized..."

"It's Halloween, there were like twenty other kids dressed just like us, Ollie." Robin assured him, popping some skittles into his mouth.

Batman looked unconvinced. "So you went out trick-or-treating in your costumes, risked getting recognized, and went on an unauthorized mission in stopping the robbery while we were in a four hour meeting?"

"Pretty much." Sparrow said easily, tossing up an M&M and catching it in her mouth. Everyone else blanched at the easy tone she used, and Flash stared.

"Wally, you could've been shot!" he said, gaping. "All of you could've!"

"Well it wasn't like any of you guys remembered it was Halloween. Besides, we had a good time, and getting shot at is an..."

"Occupt-occupti-octopus-octagon-occupationable hazard." Sparrow stuttered, though she knew the word. She was laying on the cuteness here, knowing she'd need it, and Superman smiled, ruffling her hair. "Close enough, Sparrow..."

"Well, at least you succeeded." Wonder Woman said, looking both a bit surprised and proud...

"You might not be so lucky next time. DO NOT do this again." Batman said, but his normally scary Bat-demeanor was ruined when Sparrow gave up her perch on the couch, jumping at Batman, who reflexively caught her.

"Tired..." she muttered, curling up against his chest, and Batman sighed.

"Bats, it's not like we can ground them for trick-or-treating..." Flash said, turning to Wally. "Did you get any Butter Fingers?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure did." Wally presented his eager uncle with what was, in Flash's mind, chocolate gold, and Robin nodded to Martain Manhunter. "I got a little pack of oreos..." he said, handing them to the Martain. J'on was touched.

"While I don't know what Halloween is, I'm... flattered you'd give me your Oreos." he said.

Robin shrugged. "I figured out of everyone, they'd make you the most happy..."

"Uncle Clark, I saved you my gummy bears!" Sparrow said. Superman was instantly beside her.

"And I saved you the Swedish fish, Tati." Robin said.

Everyone stopped and stared. "You like Swedish Fish?" Wonder Woman asked, shocked that the dark knight, the caped crusader... liked SWEDISH FISH.

"Aunt Diana, who DOESN'T love Swedish fish?" Robin asked.

"The kid has a point..." Flash said, mouth full of Butter Fingers.

"Swedish Fish?" Sparrow instantly perked up from where she'd been almost asleep in Batman's arms. "I love red dye!" she was practically vibrating from excitement, but Batman kept a firm hold on her.

"Come on Bruce, lighten up. It's Halloween..." Hawkman said, but Batman shook his head.

"Her and red dye are a recipe for disaster. Besides, if you give her a pack of them she'll eat them all, get on sugar high, climb to the highest place possible and try and re-enact scenes from Rambo, and pass out two hours later after going on a sugar-induced rampage." Batman said simply. "Oh, and she'll take the batteries out of everything."

Black Canary crossed her arms. "And whose idea was it to let a six year old watch Rambo?"

"It was educational, strategic film." Batman said, and Black Canary and Wonder Woman rolled their eyes. Men...

It was then Oliver approached Roy. "Got ay Baby Ruths?" he asked seriously, as though trying to keep his love for the candy a secret. Roy grinned.

"Sure do. Fetch!" he tossed a fun sized baby ruth, and Oliver was instantly running after it, intent on finding it...

All the leaguers watched as Oliver searched the floor for it like it was a diamond or something, completely unaware of the odd stares his fellow leaguers were giving him, and Roy ended up on the floor from laughing, holding his aching sides... Maybe Halloween wasn't so bad after all.


	40. Tonsils

"Dick, you look sick." Bruce said, looking at his son with concern in his eyes. Dick looked incredibly pale, haggard, and exhausted, as well as slightly sick.

"'m fine, Bruce..." Dick said hoarsely.

Bruce shook his head. "Son, you've been looking sick for a couple days now. I'm going to call Leslie."

"Fine. 'M gonna go take a nap..." Dick mumbled, trudging upstairs. That really set off the alarm bells is Bruce's mind- his son NEVER slept during the day.

Of course, he knew Leslie would come for a house call...

"Definitely a nasty cold. Bruce, mind if I speak to you... outside?" Leslie asked, darting a glance over at Dick. The normally curious boy was listless, and he didn't even care that they were going out of his earshot. His throat, head, and ears really hurt, and he just really wanted to sleep...

Bruce, on the other hand, knew something was wrong when Leslie stepped outside with him.

"He has incredibly swollen tonsils, Bruce." she said, looking concerned. "Has he been sick a lot this year?"

"Yes, he's had a hoarse voice a lot..."

"I don't normally recommend this, Bruce, but I'd recommend you get his tonsils out. They're swollen enough to make me be concerned that hey might get in the way of his breathing..."

That made Bruce's heart skip a beat. But his training allowed him to remain calm.

"Alright. When should we come in?" he asked.

"The sooner the better. Meet me at pre-op division of Gotham Central tomorrow, ten in the morning, and we'll get him into surgery the next day after that..."

"Of course. Is it high risk?" he asked, feeling his worry evolve slightly.

"No, definitely not. He's a strong kid, Bruce, he'll be fine- trust me." she places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"Your father was the same way when you had to have your appendix out." she said, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling as she smiled.

Bruce stared, slightly shocked. He'd never really thought of himself like his father, never remembered much about having his appendix out except the pain. But it felt right, somehow... Him acting like his father. He hoped he could be like that for Dick...

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bruce." she gave him hat warm, motherly smile before leaving, and Bruce ducked back into Dick's room.

The boy gave a weak cough before laying back, eyes closed.

"How're you feeling, Dick?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Sick." Dick admitted, head lolling to the side. "Did she give you medicine or something?"

"No, she thinks it's your tonsils. We're going to have to go to the hospital for some tests tomorrow, and then they'll take out your tonsils and you should feel better..."

"Whatever- I'll do anything to feel better." Dick said, sighing and rolling over.

Bruce nodded. "Need anything?" he asked, hoping his son would at least eat or drink SOMETHING.

"Just a blanket, thanks." Dick said, curling up under his blankets, looking a lot smaller than Bruce remembered.

The next day he dragged Dick out of bed, The boy looked slightly better, but Bruce knew he wouldn't be completely relaxed until he knew his son's tonsils were gone and wouldn't interfere with his breathing. Dick was surprisingly cooperative, which only succeeded in worrying Bruce more. The kid must really be miserable to comply...

"Alright, we'll put him on liquid lorotab afterwards to manage the pain as well as Motrin and Tylenol if he needs it, and he'll have to stick to soft foods for a few days. He's still running a slight fever, but that's to be expected, and everything else is good to go. I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Dick?"

"Uh-huh." Dick nodded, getting off the exam table. Bruce still had tons of worries and questions, but Dick was looking exhausted, and he definitely wanted the boy to be rested for surgery tomorrow...

Leslie handed him a pamphlet on the surgery, and he gave her a grateful smile before leaving.

"Dickey, you know what's happening tomorrow?" Bruce asked, wondering if his son actually understood.

"Yeah. They're going to put me to sleep and take my tonsils out." Dick said. He didn't seem bothered by this at all.

Bruce was so focused on his son he didn't noticed the small gasp or Scarlet listening from the doorway. She was scared. She was only six, but tonsils sounded pretty important...

"Are you nervous at all?" Bruce asked, curious.

"No. I just want them OUT, they hurt a ton..." Dick said, and Bruce chuckled.

From where she'd been hiding in the hall the piece began to come together for Scarlet. So Dick's tonsils were broken... That was why he was getting rid of them. But still, maybe he'd need new tonsils...

She padded down the hall, determined to find her brother new tonsils.

That night, Bruce entered with a bowl of chicken soup. "Dick, you need to eat something. You're not going to be able to eat for the next twelve hours, and I want you to have something in your stomach..."

Dick sighed. "Fine..." He drank some broth just to please Bruce before falling asleep. Bruce looked down at the boy, feeling both fear and tenderness wash over him. He really just wanted his son to feel well again- this was so different than the normal happy-go-lucky Dick he knew. He was just hoping everything would be alright...

Scarlet crawled around under Bruce's bed, finding nothing. She wasn't giving up, though- she was going to find Dick new tonsils.


	41. Operation

Dick woke up the next morning and looked tired, Bruce couldn't help but notice. But still he looked better than he had two days ago.

"Ready to go, Dick?" Bruce asked.

Dick nodded, looking slightly concerned. "Where's Scarlet?" he'd really wanted a goodbye hug...

"She's probably still asleep, Dick, it's pretty early." Bruce said. Still, he did idly wonder where his six-year-old could be, but he was more concerned for Dick at the moment.

"You'll see her soon, Dick, I promise." Bruce said, escorting Dick out to the car. Alfred was staying at the manor to care for Scarlet while he was gone with Dick...

In reality, the six year old was on Bruce's laptop, on Craigslist to be exact.

She was posting an add in the wanted section.

_WANTED; TONSILS._

_MY BROTHER IS GETTING HIS TONSILS OUT BECUZ THEY ARE BROKEN, BUT I THINK HE NEEDS NEW ONES... I WILL PAY ALL I GOT $6.77, AND GIVE A FREE HUG. THANKS!_

She smiled and posted the ad. All she had to do was wait.

* * *

 

Dick changed into the hospital gown with dinosaurs on it and sat on the bed. He was still eerily calm...

He sat down on the gurney and let them stick in an IV, and didn't really even seem to care when they started giving him shots. Bruce was, however, more or less of a mental wreck, but he didn't let it show.

And then the nurse came in with the anesthesia. "I want you to count down from 100, okay?" she said, securing the mask on Dick's face over his mouth and nose. Dick nodded, counting silently. Less than twenty seconds later, he was asleep.

"He'll be under for an hour or two. You'll see him in about an hour, Mr. Wayne." Bruce nodded, squeezing his son's hand before he was wheeled into the operating room, and he was utterly alone.

His heart started to race. His son was gone from him now, about to have his tonsils cut out... He was unconscious and drugged, he wouldn't feel anything, and he knew he was doing the right thing... But why did it hurt so much? He knew his son was in pain, and he knew this would make him feel better... He sighed. This was just another part of being a father.

He saw his son forty five minutes later in the recovery room. He was hooked up to several standard machines, still looking peaceful, but his hand twitched, letting Bruce know he was fighting the drug... His heart rate increased, as well. Dick had been exposed to sedatives before, especially with he Joker and Scarecrow- so he was recovering fast.

His eyes fluttered open and he blinked, looking confused and pale.

"Hi Dick. How're you feeling?" Bruce asked.

Dick didn't respond, instead blinking sluggishly before an expression of panic came over his face.

"It's alright, Dick, it's fine... I'm right here." Bruce said, cupping his son's chin in his hand and turning the boy's face so his eyes met his own. Dick instantly relaxed, definitely looking drugged...

"How're you feeling?" Bruce asked, hopeful he wasn't in too much pain. Dick went to shrug but failed, his arms instead flopping uselessly... Definitely drugged. Bruce smiled despite his concern. So he was still in la-la land, then.

Three hours later they were discharged with the pain killers for Dick and instructions on what to do for him. Dick, while he'd changed from the hospital gown to the batman pajamas Alfred had packed, clearly didn't feel like walking, so Bruce carried him to the car.

He set him in the back seat, and he promptly slumped over so he was sprawled out.

"Tired?" Bruce asked. Dick nodded feebly, and Bruce made sure to drive slowly. He carried Dick inside and was met by Alfred at the door.

"How is Master Richard?" the old man asked, slightly anxious.

"He's mainly just tired, Alfred." Bruce assured him, carrying his son up to bed. Almost as soon as he set the boy down, he was asleep.

"Sleep well, Dick." he said, smiling. He elected to work from Dick's room, grabbing his laptop, and found some email welcoming him to craigslist and another email spontaneously banning him from craigslist. He chalked it up to spam and started working.

* * *

 

Scarlet was in the attic. Wayne Manor had a shockingly large attic, but there were no lights up there, so she'd grabbed a flashlight.

She shined it around carefully. There was only insulation and drywall, no floor, so she was left jumping from rafter to rafter. Who knew? Maybe someone had left some tonsils in the attic.

She saw something brown and wrinkly, about the size of a quarter, and realized this could be the tonsils she was looking for... Until she saw the dead rat five fee away and realized they were just turds.

And so she continued her quest throughout the attic.

* * *

 

"Master Bruce, I regret to inform you Master Scarlet hasn't showed up for lunch." Alfred said around one, coming in to find Bruce still sitting by Dick's bedside. It was getting close to the time when Bruce was supposed to wake Dick up for painkillers...

"Did you see her at all this morning, Alfred?" Bruce asked, starting to get concerned.

"Briefly for breakfast, sir, but otherwise, no..."

"Scarlet!" Bruce called, since Dick had to wake up in five minutes anyways...

Scarlet, who'd been in the attic, jumped backwards, startled, when she heard Bruce yell her name and didn't land on a rafter, instead landing on only insulation and drywall and falling through, landing, dazed, in the bathtub, which she'd been above.

Bruce heard the large noise and paled considerably, running into the bathroom...

"Scarlet! What happened?" he demanded, seeing his daughter covered in plaster, insulation, and blood...

"I... when did the floor turn into the ceiling?" she asked, looking up at the gaping hole in the ceiling she' fallen through. Bruce gaped for a minute before snatching her out of the bath tub and setting her on the sink ledge...

"Why would you even go into the attic?" Bruce asked, dabbing at the cuts she'd gotten from some fiberglass that'd been in the insulation.

"I was bored?" Scarlet said. Bruce couldn't know she was trying to get Dick new tonsils, that'd ruin the surprise.

"That was dangerous, Scarlet- what if you'd fallen out and slammed your head into the bathtub or the tiles? You'd be dead." Bruce said, looking angry. "Not to mention Dick was sleeping, what if you'd fallen into HIS room?"

"Sorry, Tati." Scarlet squeaked, as Bruce shined a flashlight in her eyes to check for a concussion.

"I want you in your room until supper. Are we clear?"

"Yes." Scarlet said, hanging her head. Bruce didn't care. At the moment he had to be ready to give Dick his painkillers, he was cleaning Scarlet's minor cuts and bruises, and he was tired and stressed, since his son had just had his tonsils out this morning. Not to mention Scarlet had almost gotten herself killed and left a hole in the ceiling, so his reaction wasn't unwarranted.

As soon as Bruce was done patching her up, she scurried off into her room, wondering how on Earth she was going to find Dick new tonsils.

"Hi Dick, how're you feeling?" Bruce asked, smiling reassuringly as he filled a dropper with Dick's medication.

"Good, I guess." Dick said hoarsely, giving him a wane smile. "What was that noise?"

"Nothing, Dick." Bruce lied. He didn't want to worry the boy about his sister at the moment.

"Oh, okay." Dick said, laying back. he was relatively easy to care for, at least, he hoped he was, since he didn't want to stress Bruce.

"Want anything to eat? Soup, maybe, or jello?" Bruce asked.

"No thanks..." Dick said, yawning and suddenly gagged. Bruce went to grab the trash can, but the boy was fine a minute later.

"You okay?" Bruce asked, moderately concerned.

"Yeah, it just felt... Weird." Dick said.

Bruce nodded, handing his son a glass of water. "Drink this, at least, you need to stay hydrated..." Dick obeyed, before rolling over and falling asleep again. The night was relatively calm, with Bruce having to be up every three hours to medicate Dick... But life went on.


	42. Post-Op

Dick was fine during days two through four of his recovery. Day five was when things started to go south. Throughout the first four days of his recovery, his pain level had steadily been increasing, and on day five he woke Bruce up crying.

"Bruce... it feels like I'm swallowing hot glass..." Dick said, pulling his knees to his chest. Bruce nodded- it was still an hour and a half until his next dose of lorotab, so he gave him tylenol. It wasn't enough, though, and he slept fitfully for the next hour and a half until Bruce woke him up again and dosed him with painkiller.

The morning provided no respite- both Dick and Bruce were tired from having to wake up every three hours for the past four days in order to give or take medication, and the pain now seemed to be Dick's constant companion. It made him more irritable, and he was refusing to eat and drink because of it, which both frustrated and worried Bruce.

"Dick, you NEED to drink something." He said, running a hand through his hair nervously. He knew Dick was in pain. The scabs in the boy's throat were starting to come off, which was the most painful part...

"No. I... I can't. It hurts too bad." Dick whispered. Bruce sighed, wishing there was something he could do for the boy...

"It's going to be alright, Dick." Bruce promised. Dick crawled into his lap, clinging to him and crying, and Bruce rocked back and forth slowly, trying his best to soothe the boy. It was awful watching his son be in pain and knowing there was nothing he could do about it. Finally, the boy fell into a fitful sleep, and Bruce went downstairs to grab some coffee- coffee was the only thing keeping him awake, now.

"Can I see him, Tati?" Scarlet's soft voice startled him, and he looked down to see his six year old imploring him with those crystal blue eyes.

"No, Scarlet. He's tired, he needs rest, you can see him when he's feeling better." Bruce promised. Every day since Dick had had his tonsils out, Scarlet had asked to see him, but Bruce didn't want his bubbly little girl to excite Dick, who was in so much pain and exhausted and, overall, just needed rest. Not to mention Scarlet might carry germs with her, and in Dick's weakened condition he didn't want to risk anything...

He knew it hurt the siblings to be apart, but he truly believed he was doing it for the greater good.

Scarlet padded up to her room and sighed. Dick had always gotten better from his colds before, with BROKEN tonsils. If she could find him some new ones, she was totally convinced he'd be fine. She hadn't stopped her quest to find them, either, and was considering calling Dr. Leslie and asking if she had any spare tonsils lying around for her brother. But she'd decided to wait just a little longer. After all, maybe she could find some.

* * *

 

That evening, Bruce called Alfred up to give Dick his medicine while he held the boy- his medication must have been truly agonizing for him to swallow, since he was fighting like a demon...

"Bruce- please, no! It hurts too much to swallow!" Dick said, squirming in Bruce's arms.

"It'll help with the pain, Dick." Bruce said, holding the boy firmly. He knew Dick was just exhausted and in pain,but he also knew the boy NEEDED to take his medication. "Just take it for me, Dick, and then you can sleep, I promise..." Bruce said.

"I would highly recommend you do so, Master Richard, and perhaps I can spray some numbing gel on your throat..." Alfred suggested.

"Why not do it BEFORE I take the meds?" Dick croaked.

"As you wish, Master Richard." and Alfred was off to find the numbing spray.

Dick whimpered in Bruce's arms, and Bruce held the ten year old close to him.

"It'll feel better soon, Dickey, I promise."

They were having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and Alfred had left the raw meatballs on the kitchen counter when he went up to help Bruce. Scarlet entered the room then and saw dozens of little pink balls of raw meat...

"Tonsils!" she said, gaping. It was literally a miracle. She'd gone on google images, and these looked exactly like the tonsils that she'd seen there. She grabbed two of them, feeling how squishy they were and staring. These were DEFINITELY tonsils.

She was so excited. She couldn't WAIT to see the look on Dick's face.

"Dickey! Dickey, you won't believe it!" she yelled, running upstairs.

* * *

 

Alfred had been getting ready to give Dick some numbing gel when they heard the thundering of little feet running upstairs.

"Dickey! Dickey, you won't believe it!" Scarlet yelled. A moment later, she barreled into the room, holding two pinkish balls...

"I found you new tonsils!" she said, looking ecstatic. "Your old ones were broken, so I went and spent ALL week looking for new ones to fix you and I FOUND them!" she said proudly, holding out the two meatballs.

Dick stared for a moment, shocked, before starting to giggle...

Bruce laughed, as well. He'd spent his week being stressed and tired, having to wake up and dose Dick with painkillers every three hours, as well as watching his son in pain, but in the one moment, where his incredibly adorable six ear old stood in front of him and had made Dick laugh for the first time all week, it was like suddenly a ray of sunshine was peeking through the clouds. Alfred chuckled, too, and Scarlet looked around, confused...

Finally, the laughter died down. "I believe those are the meatballs was preparing for dinner, Master Scarlet." Alfred said.

Scarlet shook her head. "No- they're tonsils. Look it up on google images. Dickey NEEDS these- right, Bruce?"

"Actually, Scarlet, you don't need tonsils. Dick's were making him sick, that's why he had to have them removed." Bruce said, smiling at his little girl. Suddenly being a father was worth it again.

"Why did no one tell me this?" Scarlet asked, looking shocked. Bruce laughed again at the expression on the girl's face.

"We all assumed you knew, I guess." Dick said hoarsely, but he was smiling.

"Would this, perchance, be the reason you fell through the ceiling a few days ago?" Bruce asked, and Scarlet blushed.

"Yeah... I was kinda hoping someone left tonsils in the attic." Scarlet said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Bruce had to smile, as did Dick. It was the first time Bruce had seen the boy smile in days, and it made something within him flutter with joy.

"Now I suggest you wash your hands after touching raw meat, Master Scarlet..." Alfred said, and Dick grinned as Scarlet sighed, heading into the bathroom off his room.

Bruce realized he might've made a mistake in keeping Scarlet from Dick- after all, the two were nearly inseparable, and they seemed to make each other laugh more often than not.

"Maybe we'll all have dinner up here tonight." Bruce suggested, and Dick nodded, looking eager. Bruce administered his medication, but it didn't matter. Dick had already forgotten his pain with his sister around... Maybe it wasn't just tiredness and scabbing contributing to his pain, but loneliness...

As he watched them both interact and laugh, he realized something- everything was going to be okay.


	43. The Chase

"Scarlet- now." Batman ground out, in his normal Batman monotone. Scarlet, clad as Sparow, peered down from the ventilation shaft that ran through the ceiling of the watchtower, with some trepidation.

"No."

Batman simply glared for a moment, eyes narrowing dangerously. The leaguers watched the exchange with some trepidation. They'd never seen anyone disobey an order from the dark knight, let alone one of his own children.

"Scarlet- just come down! We can hang out later!" Roy called up, getting concerned. He did NOT want to see how Batman disciplined his children.

"Do you want to die!?" Wally added, and Roy glared at him.

"I'm not tired." Scarlet said simply.

Batman looked up at her, eyes still narrowed. "Scarlet. Now."

"No." and she started to crawl through the vent, away from everyone.

There was a five minute gap in time, in which only Scarlet's shrieking could be heard, as she was no doubt being chased thought the watchtower.

She was sprinting into the room, vaulting off the couch, shrieking with laughter.

A smoke bomb went off, and a moment later, Scarlet was hogtied on the floor, her elation and laughter dying down.

Batman said nothing, wordlessly slinging his little girl over his shoulder. But everyone could've sworn the corners of his mouth were twitching- like he was fighting a smile.

Scarlet spent one moment panting, two... Her head of messy raven hair found its place, nestled between the crook of his neck and shoulder.

" 'M still...not tired..." she mumbled, sounding half asleep.

"Sure you aren't. Robin." Batman nodded to his son, and they disappeared into the zeta tubes.


	44. Playing Hooky

"I got out of school early today." Wally said, looking excited as he saw his friends in the watch tower. "I had a doctor's appointment."

Roy scoffed. "That's nothing. You clearly never played hooky."

"I played hockey." Sparrow said, looking confused. "While we were in Russia, we played with all the other kids, remember, Rob?"

"Not hockey, Sparrow, hooky. You know, ditching, skipping, truancy?" Roy asked. Sparrow still looked confused, and Roy sighed.

"It's where you leave school early, skip class, without permission." Roy said. Her eyes lit up. "Oh..."

"You guys never played hooky before?" Roy asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We never went to school before. Our Mamica always homeschooled us." Dick said calmly.

"You played hooky, Roy?" Sparrow asked, starry eyed, and Roy smiled slightly.

"Sure did. Heck, when Ollie first adopted me he thought I was in school for two weeks before he realized there was a disturbing lack of teachers calling about my disobedience and called the school to find out I hadn't even been there..."

"How'd you do it?" Dick asked. Suddenly all his siblings were looking at him like he was some hero...

"It was easy. Ollie was clueless, I just had the driver drop me off in front of the school, went in, waited until he left, and walked out. I hung out in the alleys trying to get the jump on undercover gangs- most've them trusted me, since they figured I was a drop out. Anyways, every now and then it's good to ditch... I had a ton of fun doing that... Good times..."

"Sparrow- Robin- let's go." Batman said. "Riddler escaped."

"Ugg..." Robin sighed. "The Riddler is so lame- do you really need us?"

Batman cocked an eyebrow behind his cowl. "There's no way I'm letting you work on a case if Two Face or Joker breaks out. Get your experience while you can."

Robin sighed. "Okay..."

"We go, Houston?" Scarlet asked Dick as they stepped out of the car at Gotham Academy. Alfred smiled to them as they entered the school foyer before driving off. Dick nodded. "We are go."

They both ducked into the bathrooms, changing into the normal clothes they had in their backpacks, waiting. This was the one area where the school security cameras wouldn't see them. They waited. The first bell rang, the classes had begun. They'd hacked into the school systems earlier using Bat-training, and they knew at precisely 8:14 am the security cameras went down for two minutes as per the slight modification they'd made. They slipped out the doors unnoticed and streaked down the sidewalk. Operation was a go.

"Sup, Wally? You working your magic?" Dick spoke into his communicator.

"Working on it. I just hid behind the bushes, all the kids are getting in the buses..."

"Great. Meet us at the bus depot." Dick said, ducking into the bus stop. He paid their fair, nodding confidently to the bus driver.

"Shouldn't you kids be in school?" he asked, squinting his prune-like eyes at them.

"No. We're homeschooled." Dick said, taking a seat with Scarlet. They got off at the Star City Depot and were met by Wally. "Okay- the boys academy is a few blocks away. You ready?" Dick asked. They both nodded. Operation Spying Santa was a go.

* * *

Roy sighed. He REALLY didn't want to go on this stupid field trip. Every single year, all the middle schools in the state, with a few exceptions, flocked to some revolutionary war battle site. It'd been cool the first time. But Oliver had taken him a second time over the summer, and he found it boring. So now, the third time, t was going to be AWFUL. His only hope was he'd see Dick, Scarlet or Wally somewhere... Right now the eighth graders were boarding the busses. Soon they'd get on the PA and he'd be stuck on a bus for two hours with eighth grade kids who had no idea how to use deoderant...

Suddenly there was a tapping on the window to his left.

"Psst! Roy! Over here!"

Roy nearly fell out of his chair. Scarlet was standing in the window, looking in from outside...

"Umm... May I go to the bathroom?" Roy asked his homeroom teacher, a grumpy biology professor.

"Be quick." he growled. Roy was striding out of the room a moment later, slipping out the side door to find Scarlet, Dick and Wally in the yard.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Roy asked, shocked.

"Playing hooky. We didn't wanna go on some stupid field trip. So we decided we'd have a little... outing..." Dick said calmly.

"As us? Or as the sidekicks?" Roy asked, looking actually interested.

"As us. In a place we won't be recognized. There's this little town Scarlet and I know about, our... WE visited it awhile ago..." Robin said. But in truth, he and his parents had stopped there, on their way to Gotham city, to their last performance...

_"Try and catch me, Tati!" Scarlet yelled, flipping from one monkey bar to the next. She'd been a lot smaller back then, a lot more carefree._

_"I'll get you, my little Sparrow!" John Grayson said, racing across the wood chips towards her. Sparrow giggled before swinging onto the playground, jumping onto the railing, her father laughing as he hurried after her._

_"Look at the balance beam, Dickey- just like the high wires." Mary said, pointing to the balance beam._

_"I'd rather swing- it's more like flying." Dick said, and Mary nodded, smiling. She led the boy to the swing set, pushing him as he flipped off the swing once he reached full height and clapping when he landed perfectly..._

_More than once, Scarlet tore past them, giggling up a storm as John chased her. He finally caught her, tickling her until she fell onto the grass, laughter floating up like the sound of silver bells..._

_"Tati- tati, stop! I can't breathe!" she said through laughter._

_"Say uncle!" John ordered, eyes dancing with happiness._

_"Uncle! Aunt! Grandpa! Family! Just stop!" she giggled, and John let up, helping e girl to her feet._

_"John, don't tickle her too hard- she may have an accident." Mary scolded, but her eyes were smiling as she brought over a picnic basket._

_"We have spare clothes, Mary. Besides, she hasn't had an accident in weeks." John said, stroking his daughter's raven hair and looking proud. Sparrow grinned proudly as well. They were on one of their brief breaks of travel, since they weren't supposed to arrive in Gotham until next week..._

_"Who wants cookies?" John asked, holding up a small bag of them._

_"John, for dessert." Mary said, though she smiled as Sparrow got to her feet, trying to reach them from where John held them._

_"It won't hurt them, Mary... Besides, a treat now and then is good." he said, handing each child a cookie before giving Mary a quick peck on the lips. "See?"_

That was all he remembered. He could tell Scarlet was remembering it too...

"Wait a minute. We're going to get in so much trouble for ditching- what makes you think I'll go with you?" Roy demanded.

"You don't wanna go on some boring trip." Scarlet said.

"Not to mention you ARE the master hooky player. And we're going with or without you, so you might as well come." Dick said firmly.

Wally nodded. "What he said."

Roy sighed. "Fine. Give me five minutes to ditch my uniform." he ducked into the bushes to change into his gym clothes, which were in his backpack, before watching the freshmen trickle out the doors and onto the bus, before they pulled out. They waited for five minutes, before sprinting off school grounds and heading to the bus depot.

They bought the tickets electronically a a kiosk before boarding the bus to the place.

Roy checked the map, surprised. "This place is REALLY out of the way..."

"Exactly. We're less likely to be recognized there." Dick said, looking out the window. Slowly, the scene transformed from the harsh cityscape to the green, fenced in pastures and fields of upstate New York.

"Where's the next stop?" Wally asked, looking excited.

"Some little town just outside Buffalo." Roy said, shooting Dick and Scarlet a look. He was wondering what was going through their heads. They looked quiet- sad, almost. It seemed like it was some old memory that seemed to be on their minds... Roy knew it was better not to ask about these things. But he also knew he was one of the trusted few who COULD ask about it without earning himself a bloody nose.

"Memories?" he asked quietly. Dick nodded somberly, and they sat with silence until they got off at the bus stop.

It was across from the park, and Dick walked over, Scarlet beside him. Se'd only been four, about to turn five in a month, it'd been years... But he could tell from the look on her face she remembered it.

He touched the chain on the swing- it had been years ago, shiny steel, but now it was rusted... Still, he smiled. He'd sat on this very swing almost two years ago- he'd been a happy kid back then, carefree, careless... Things had changed.

Scarlet stood on the grass where they'd spread the picnic blanket. Her father had sat here with her all those years ago... Now, even though it was early november, the area where their blanket had been spread was dotted with wildflowers. She smiled sadly- somethings never changed.

Suddenly there was a police officer striding towards them. They all stiffened slightly.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you kids to get back to the Elementary school." he said, pointing to a large building that was just across the street. "There's been a murder."


	45. Interruption of the Hooky

"What? A murder?" Roy asked, looking shocked.

"Yes, In the apartment building across the street. We need to do some work here, so you should go inside- maybe go to the gym for recess, instead." the officer suggested. They realized how lucky they were to have been right next to the elementary school, then. He thought they were just kids from recess...

"Um... right..." Dick put an arm around Scarlet, leading her towards the elementary school. They entered and Dick immediately led them down a hallway, to a door beside the staircase. They slipped out the back.

"A murder?" Wally asked, looking shocked.

"Looks like the third in a string of them." Dick said, working on his wrist computer. "By the looks of things here, there's been three deaths over the past two days... All elderly people, all found with slit throats..."

"The town is going crazy looking for the killer, by the looks of things." Wally said,  
hearing the sirens of approaching police cars. Probably to remove the body from the scene...

"Makes sense. It's a small place- people hate living in fear." Roy said. "And they must hate it even more wondering if their neighbors could be the killer."

"So I take it we're investigating, now?" Wally asked, looking at them expectantly.

"Yes. The murders have been happening in a pattern of increasing frequency. One yesterday, and two today, on the sixteenth. One at approximately 3am, twelve hours from the last, and the body just now, six hours from that..."

"Meaning we have three hours to find the killer." Roy said grimly.

"What are you kids doing!?" an angry voice came, and they all turned to find a teacher looking at them sternly.

"Sophie here was feeling sick, I decided we'd take her out to get her some air." Roy said, motioning to Scarlet. Scarlet gave him a glare. Sophie? Really? But she knew how to put on an act when she needed to, and she made herself look shaky and pale.

"Oh- you really shouldn't be out here alone, though..." the woman said, looking concerned.

"My Mama's coming to take me home soon- Robby called her." Scarlet said, looking up at Roy.

Roy grit his teeth. He sounded like a dork, his name wasn't Robby. But, he'd asked for it, calling her Sophie...

"Oh, come wait in the foyer, then." She opened the door wider and they all filed in.

"I haven't seen you around here before..." the teacher said, looking curious.

"We don't go to this school. Well, we just moved here, the school's still getting our paperwork straight, and our Mom, Sophie's aunt, works in the cafeteria, so we have to come to work with her until we're properly enrolled." Roy lied easily, and the woman nodded.

"Oh. I see. Maybe I should wait with you..."

"No, Aunt Jessica lives just around the corner, it'll be fine." Roy promised. The teacher nodded, heading back around the corner.

"Sophie? Really? If all the aliases you could've chosen..." Scarlet whispered, ticked off.

"Hey, I'm not very happy to be Robby either, but you don't see me complaining. Now come on." They slipped upstairs, finding an old library where they wouldn't be noticed and hiding behind the shelf in the back. Scarlet flopped into a bean bag chair, flipping on her own wrist computer.

"Alright- so we need a plan of action. I'm checking the records now, at least three elderly women live in this area..." Scarlet whispered, pulling it up. "And the statistics say they'd be prime targets. The supposed murders will take place in three hours, or at noon, approximately..."

"Three hours. No pressure." Robin said, sighing.

"There's a town map here- let's see. The first body was found in a home on Lake road, reports say." Roy said, making a dot. "So, on the East side of town. Second body is here, on Mill road, so on the West side of town, and the body across the street is HERE, on the North side of town."

"The only section that hasn't been hit is the South side." Wally said, eyes widening. "It must be happening there!"

"That's what the killer wants us to think." Robin said grimly. "It's probably what the police are thinking, too, concentrating the brunt of patrols down there... making the other sections easier to hit."

"I never thought of it that way, but it does make sense." Roy admitted.

"No. The killer COULD be anywhere, with that logic!" Wally protested.

"That's exactly what they want us to think." Scarlet piped up. "I mean, think about it. Someone kills three elderly ladies, all on different sides of town- they won't stop what they're doing, their cold, calculated killers. But by hitting three sides of town, they've left us guessing at where they're going next. The forth side, or returning to the other three? Who knows?"

"Exactly. Come on, Wally, admit it- they're right." Roy said.

"Fine, it's possible... But where do we go from here? If they can hit every direction but South, they could be on either of the three sides..." Wally said, looking frustrated. "We have no idea where to go!"

"Yes we do. The killer will go to the one place that's least expected- the scene of the crime." Sparrow pointed out.

"But which crime? The first, second, or third?" Roy asked, looking interested.

"Any of them. We'll split up. Sparrow, you stay with Roy on the North end- Wally will take the West, and I'll take the East. The cops will be all over the south side." Robin said calmly.

"Are you sure about this, dude?" Wally asked, looking uncertainly at his friend.

"Of course I am. This is a serial killer we're talking about- the only ones crazy enough to return to the scene of the crime."

* * *

 

"What do you mean they're missing?" Bruce demanded. His children had NEVER been missing from school before, and he'd been shocked when he got the call...

"They're lost in the historic battlefield?" he was starting to panic slightly. His children, not only good for ransom, were lost in the middle of a historical battle ground... surrounded by old cannons. If they somehow managed to do something stupid, the whole world would no doubt hear about it... It was easy to get lost. Tons of schools flocked go the battle grounds this season, before it got too cold, but still...

"I want every man you have on this. FIND them- or I will." he said, Daddy Bats coming out. He pulled out his wrist computer, checking their tracking signals. Offline. Now was the time to worry. He arrived at the battlegrounds fifteen minutes later via private jet, finding the police and school officials there.

"Bruce?" he turned, shocked to see Oliver Queen standing beside him.

"They told me Roy was missing..."

"So are Scarlet and Dick. You don't think they're together, do you?"

"I hope so. Roy will have the good sense to stay put and wait for rescue workers..."

* * *

 

"Stay hidden, Scarlet. I don't want them to see you- they might target you then." Roy said. He had his back-up bow with him, and he de-compressed it now, assembling his arrows quickly.

"Quit playing with legos and trust me, Roy." Sparrow said. "Whoever they are, I can handle them."

"You're small. I just don't want you to get hurt. Besides, they're a serial killer..."

"I've dealt with phsyco killers before, Roy- I'll be fine."

There was a whimper, suddenly, and both their eyes widened. Roy shoved Scarlet behind the couch, collecting his arrows and bow before he joined her...

This was the house of the first murder, and they stared when they saw the elderly woman being dragged in. She was bleeding from the head, but her captor, a woman in her twenties with chestnut hair, stood over her, teeth gleaming in the darkness, eyes alight with the thrill of the kill...

"Robin, KF, come in- we have company."


	46. Chapter 46

"Help! Somebody help!" the shaking voice of the old woman reached then, before a hand clapped over her mouth and she made a pained noise as a steel-toed boots sunk into her ribs. Roy switched off his communicator, as did Scarlet, before stalking out of the shadows...

"Shh, shh... it'll be alright soon. Just a few more things to do before you'll be dead, and it'll be over. And the world will be safe."

Both Roy and Scarlet froze, shocked. It was dark, so they weren't spotted, and Scarlet gave Roy a look. Clearly this wasn't your ordinary killer... It was a woman, for one, a young, blonde woman with green eyes and Hollister clothes...

"Please..." the old woman was begging, now, trembling where she lay... She looked to be about eighty, frail and trembling...

"No. You cannot be spared, Huitzilopotchli is starving..."

"Scarlet!" Roy pulled her behind the couch. Their sudden movement made a slight noise, and the would-be-murder's gaze flew up. She looked around like a nervous deer for a moment, before her smile returned...

"What?" Scarlet asked, looking annoyed. "She might know we're here..."

"Huitzilopotchli is the Aztec sun god. They believed he lived off human blood and SACRIFICED to him." Roy said.

"Okay. Good to know..." Scarlet cast a glance out a the woman before nodding to Roy and jumping up. The murder had raised a knife, but a moment later Scarlet launched herself into the air, her sneakered foot coming into contact with the woman's hand and sending the knife flyign, where it hit the wall with a clang. The woman stared, a cold, calculated stare of a killer...

"Sparrow!" Roy was alarmed she'd already engaged the woman and knocked an arrow as the woman pulled out another knife.

"Stupid children! Can't you see? Huitzilopotchli has been starving for centuries! All signs point to the end! Unless we feed him..."

"You're killing helpless old women. I highly doubt that's saving the world." Roy let his arrow fly, knocking the other knife from the woman's hand. The old woman stared up from where she laid on the floor, trembling...

"Sparrow! Get the victim to safety!" Roy ordered. In truth, he just wanted Scarlet out of danger. The woman scrambled for her knife before slashing...

Scarlet yelped and fell, and Roy felt his anger bubble over.

"Sparrow!"

"I-I'm alright..." Sparrow clutched her shoulder, scrambling towards the would-be victim...

Roy let a tangling arrow fly, the bolas wrapping around her legs, sending the woman to the floor with her legs tangled...

"Go." he helped Scarlet to her feet as well as the old woman, shoving them towards the door...

A knife flew past his ear and sunk into the wall, but was stopped when suddenly there was a birdarang in the woman's shoulder.

"Time to join the party." Wally said, grinning, and Robin jumped off his best friend's back. They'd needed to get here quickly, so he'd had to ride piggy-back...

Scarlet was practically carrying the woman down the old, rotted steps in the back, laying her on the grass of the back yard... It was late November, meaning it was already dark, and Scarlet could hear a creek winding through in the distance...

"Are you hurt?" she asked, looking at the woman. She stared at Scarlet, wide eyed...

There was a bloody gash on her forehead, and Scarlet tore off part of her sleeve, pressing it to the wound...

"Wh-who are you?" the old woman asked in a shaky voice.

"No one special." Scarlet replied. Suddenly she heard gunshots from inside and stood.

"Keep pressure on that wound. I'll be back."

* * *

 

"Everybody down!" the woman yelled. She'd had a handgun on her in case things went south, which they clearly were doing, now, and she'd decided to pull it out as soon as she'd freed herself from the tangling arrow, and she pointed the gun at Roy, now, eyes wide with shock and glinting with insanity, teeth grit with determination.

All three boys exchanged glances from where they now laid. They weren't in their hero gear, they were in civvies, meaning they were a LOT less bulletproof...

"Where is she!? I haven't finished the ritual yet!" the woman said, looking around desperately for the old lady. Roy remembered then the Aztecs had a sacrificial ritual they'd perform...

"The girl..." she growled, heading towards the back. Roy had no doubt she'd gun down Scarlet in order to finish the ritual.

"Sparrow! Run!" Roy yelled, launching himself up from the floor. With the gun no longer pointing at any of them he felt safer, and he grabbed the woman's ankle in a hope to slow her down. He didn't expect her to whirl and point the gun at him, and rolled at the last second to the side, nearly deafened by the sound of the gun going off and feeling a burning pain on his arm...

"Roy!" Sparrow raced into the room and the woman whirled, pointing the gun at her, now. Sparrow didn't bat an eyelid, leaping at the same time as Robin. She flipped behind the woman and swept out her legs from behind her, while Robin launched himself at her, pinning her down, holding the gun-wielding wrist down.

"KF! Now!" Robin yelled. Wally zipped by, grabbing the gun and removing the bullets, and Sparrow nailed the woman with a punch that send her eyes rolling, knocking her out cold.

"Right..." Robin tied her up, but his hands were shaking from the close call...

"Roy!" Sparrow ran over to her surrogate brother, eyes wide with concern as she rolled her surrogate brother onto his back. Roy winced, still clutching his upper arm, but gave her a smile that doubled as a grimace.

"I'll be alright, birdie. It was just a graze..." he said, looking at the wound. It was bloody, but it wasn't deep, and nothing they couldn't take care of later...

"What about you? Did the knife get you?"

But then sirens had begun to scream in the distance, and they all knew they had to go.

"We can play doctor later." Robin said. "Let's get the victim inside."

They helped the old woman inside.

"Just tell the police everything that happened. We have to move." Roy said to her, nodding to the old woman before they all clambered out the backdoor. They disappeared into the woods, grabbing the backpack's they'd stashed there. Roy, Wally, and Dick all changed in an instant, back to their school uniforms, though Wally was already set, since he went to public school...

"You need help, Scarlet?" Roy asked.

"No way. I can so dress my... hsss..." she hissed in pain as the slash on her shoulder made contact with her blazer.

"You okay? Scarlet?" Wally asked.

"I'll be fine, Wally..." Scarlet said, pulling on the plaid skirt. Roy hadn't looked, but he wouldn't have hesitated to help her dress. He was like the girl's older brother, and she was only seven.

"Let's go." and they were dashing through the woods, leaving the godforsaken murder house behind them.

They didn't stop until they'd left the woods behind them and were standing beside the highway.

"Okay, here's the plan. Everyone, hoodies on- no one sees the school blazers." Roy ordered. "Wally, you can run back to Star. Say you passed out or fell asleep or something. Scarlet, Dick, come with me..."

* * *

 

"It's been eight hours, Bruce. You don't think something happened..."

"No. They're out there somewhere." Bruce said, looking into the darkness. The field trip had been abruptly halted, darkness had fallen, since winter was coming and night came earlier, and even though searchers had been combing the area, they hadn't found anything yet.

"I know. But someone could be hurt, and it seems like they'd have found their way out by now..." Oliver pointed out.

"They'll be fine." Bruce said, hands clenching into fists. Because really, he couldn't imagine if they weren't. The kids had been slowly growing on him in the two years he'd had them, and now he just wanted them safe. But it was November in New York, and temperatures were dropping to well below freezing. He felt a pang, thinking of them out there, alone in the cold.

* * *

 

"Come on. We're only like ten miles from the place." Roy said. He nodded to his surrogate siblings, and they quietly exited the woods, leaving undercover of darkness, They made it to a truck stop not a hundred yards away and watched which direction trucks were going in. A flat bed pickup heading north came in, and when the driver left to go inside the rest-stop for coffee they quickly jumped into the back.

"Now, let's get the story straight." Roy whispered to his siblings as they laid in the tailgate, hidden beneath a tarp, on their stomachs.

"We got lost on the tour in the woods and have been struggling through the highland cliffs for the past eight hours. That's how we got these cuts. And we're just glad to be home. Are we clear?"

"Right." Dick and Scarlet both nodded, and they heard the truck door slam as the driver got in... It was incredibly windy, and they were already cold from wading across a creek, but they managed.

The man slowed, and they looked up to see a police roadblock ahead, checking cars.

"Crap. Our Dad's must've freaked. Let's move." Roy ordered. Thankfully, there were no cars behind them, so they weren't in any headlights, and they were far enough back that no one noticed the three figures steak off into the woods.

They ducked, fighting through the brush until they reached the signs that announced they were on the battleground, in some of its massive forests.

Roy grinned. "We made it. Now, we have to head towards the cliffs..."

Half an hour after trudging through the cold, they reached a sheltered area by the northern cliffs. They were all drenched and cold, but they sat down together...

"We got our story straight?" Roy asked through chattering teeth. They all nodded. Just then it started to sleet.

* * *

 

"Bruce- just to prepare you- something might've happened." Oliver said.

"Nothing happened." Bruce said firmly.

"Bruce- despite their... hobbies... they aren't invincible. Someone could've been kidnapped."

"No one is kidnapped. I won't believe it until I hear it from the others..."

"Move! Everybody, we found 'em!" Someone yelled. Bruce and Oliver both perked up as the crowd parted like the red sea, and the three children were stumbling forward, wrapped in blankets with blue lips...

"Is everyone alright?" Bruce asked, crouching to be eye level with both his children.

"A l-little ba-banged up..." Roy stuttered. His fingers were fumbling and his eyes were glassy. Bruce noticed the blood on Scarlet's shoulder and how Roy was holding his upper arm...

"Let's go." and they were gone, cars streaking towards wherever.

They both pulled up in front of the Wayne Manor, Oliver hustling Roy out of the car. The three children were rushed downstairs, and Roy suddenly found himself in the Bat cave... He looked around, shocked to see the stories Robin had told him were all true... He was hardly able to appreciate it, though, partially because of the pounding headache, convulsive shivering, and burning cut on his arm, and a slew of other medical issues he was sure he was having now. Plus, he was hustled towards the zeta tubes. The last thing he remembered was falling into a bed in the watch tower medbay.


	47. Consequences

"We are NEVER playing you-know-what again." Roy hissed between rasping breaths as he laid in the medbay with his two siblings.

"S'not our fault, Roy." Robin said as he wheezed. Sparrow just kept coughing, and Roy sighed.

"I... hate... bronchitis..." Sparrow gasped, looking pale and shaky as she leaned back against the pillows.

After their little escapade, Robin, Roy, and Sparrow had been cold-stricken.

Wally, however, was fine, but he hadn't waded through a creek or been in the sleet for three hours waiting for searches so 'find' them and make their story believable. Which was why the three were all in the watch tower medbay, unusually standoffish and grumpy.

"How are you three feeling?" Superman asked, looking at the children he viewed as nieces and nephews with concern. They'd been here for two days now, and there wasn't any drastic improvement in an of them. Still, he was particularly worried about Sparrow, who looked almost as pale as the sheets she was laying on, except for her fever-red cheeks.

"Bad." Roy said.

"Awful." Robin admitted.

Sparrow simply closed her eyes, adding to the man of steel's concern. Where was the bubbly little girl everyone loved?

"Sparrow?" he asked, sitting beside her bed and reaching out to feel her forehead. He could already feel the heat radiating off her, and while he could've easily used his thermal vision to tell what her temperature was, he knew the hand on the forehead was more comforting...

To his surprise, she crawled into his lap, leaning against is chest. "Tired..." she drew his cape around her, shivering... She shook like a leaf in Superman's arms, curling against his chest. "My Tati's in a meeting, so I guess gotta sit on your lap, uncle Clark..." she mumbled sleepily.

Superman chuckled. "Good to know I'm the second choice, at least.". Numerous members of the justice league had been dropping in, but none of them had managed to even get a smile or giggle from the tenacious trio. Still, Superman was glad the girl chose to sleep on his lap. It made him feel like he wasn't just another bothersome visitor.

"We've failed them. Taught them what to do in combat with the enemy, but never how to survive in the wilderness. We're lucky they made it out unscathed." Batman said firmly. The majority of the leaguers were assembled to talk about the latest incident involving the side-kicks.

"Both Scarlet and Roy had those nasty cuts, though." Green Arrow pointed out.

"Yes, but that's to be expected. They were found by the northern cliffs, they probably fell against some sharp rocks." Batman said. He hadn't examined the wounds closely, he'd been too busy blaming himself...

"Batman is right. We should be teaching them more than how to fight. They must learn survival." Aquaman said.

"Which is why I'm ordering the mentors take them to teach them about survival." Batman said, standing. "We'll discuss this further later." and with a sweep of his cape, he was gone.

"Where's he going?" Captain Marvel asked, looking perplexed.

"Both his children have bronchitis. Where do you think?" Hawkwoman snapped. Without the sidekicks around to give everyone a good laugh and brighten the often grim job, tensions were running high.

"He checks on them every hour." Wonder Woman confirmed.

"It's been too quiet around here with them laid up." Black Canary said, sounding morose.

"No one likes it without the sidekicks. Even I have to admit, they're funny sometimes." Green lantern (Hal Jordan) admitted.

"And to think we had none two years ago..." Martain Manhunter said.

Batman cocked an eyebrow beneath the cowl when he saw Sparrow leaning against Superman. He hadn't bothered to be stealthy, though... "Tati?" she asked, eyes opening. She smiled and leapt off Superman's lap. Batman caught her and took a seat in the chair beside Superman's, grabbing her medication off the counter.

He looked at the clock, then at Sparrow, before filling a spoon of cough syrup. She opened her mouth like a baby bird and allowing him to give her a spoonful of the rather nasty-tasting medicine, making a face before swallowing.

He grabbed a blanket off the bed, wrapping her in it, and she stopped shivering, deliciously warm... He pulled off a glove to feel her forehead. She was still running a fever... He frowned. He hated seeing her like this...

"When am I gonna get better, Tati?" she asked quietly.

"Soon." he promised, stroking her hair slightly. A moment later she was asleep.

Superman looked over at him. "How is she?"

"She'll live."

But he noticed him rub her back with his still gloveless hand, as though soothing her as she slept. He smiled slightly- it was good to know he was still always her father first, regardless of the Justice League...

Robin and Roy had nodded off as well, and he looked from each boy to the little girl curled into her father's lap, realizing these kids weren't just sidekicks- they WERE the Justice League in fifteen or twenty years.

And he vowed he'd protect them until his dying breath. Not to mention he'd already written a scathing article criticising Gotham Academy for their lack of supervision, and was determined to advocate for better supervision while in school. Superman would've made a visit, had wanted to, actually, but Batman pointed out it wasn't really a normal situation where Superman would step in, and didn't want any connections between the kids and the JLA made public. That appearance might be enough to warrant some special attention, and that was the last thing they needed right then and there. So he'd kept quiet.

But if something like this happened again, the Superintendent of Gotham might just get a late-night visitor.


	48. Camping pt. 1

It was two weeks later when they were all back on their feet and walking around, easing back into training, when Batman, Green Arrow, and Flash strode in as they were watching, at Roy's insistence, some MTV music videos. Because he was fourteen, And he REALLY liked to look at the girls...

When he saw Batman, though, he was sure he'd be decaptitated for allowing the six year-old and eleven year old watch it, he dove for the remote and quickly changed the channel... To a movie where a young woman was ontop of a bare-chested man, kissing him passionately. He stared in horror and Batman turned, but he managed to hit a button and send the TV to static at just the right moment.

Sparrow looked over at Roy, eyes wide. "What was..."

"Tickle fight!" Roy yelled, desperate to keep her quiet. A moment later she was on the floor laughing...

"Roy." Batman said, and Roy instantly stopped, looking like a deer in the headlights. Wally was at the tower with them, since it was Saturday, and everyone slowly took a seat on the couch, wondering what they'd done, if they'd figured out about the hooky...

"When you three got lost in the historic battlefield, we realized we'd neglected a vital part of your training..." Oliver said, looking to Flash for support.

"Umm... yeah. We realized we'd trained you well for combat, but... Um..."

"We're taking you to Oregon to teach you wilderness survival. Pack your bags with the necessities only. We leave in two hours." Batman said curtly.

"Wait, what?" Roy asked, dumb-founded.

"He said we're going camping!" Scarlet yelled, thinking Roy couldn't hear Batman.

"I know, but... What? Ollie, why the he-"

Oliver coughed suddenly, and Roy stopped himself. "Why the heck are we going camping?"

"Did you miss what Batman said? To teach us survival skills. You really need to work on your listening Roy." Wally said.

"We're going camping! This is just like the circus!" Scarlet squealed, looking excited. "This is just like when we were in the gypsy camp..."

"Gypsy camp?" Wally asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"It was while we were in the circus..." Robin said, eyeing the ground. The memories were so good, it was painful... "Let's go pack..."

Two hours later they were on a ship, headed to the great plains.

"Now, the first step to survival is mental preparedness..." Batman said.

"I already went through this in boy scouts!" Wally said, looking excited. "The second rule is always bring toilet paper! Cuz one time the scoutmaster accidentally used poison ivy... It was so bad he had to go to the hospital and he had to get look at and it was a teaching hospital so the doctor called ALL the interns in to look at his butt..."

Batman's expression had remained stoic the whole time, though he was inwardly cringing...

"So I packed toilet paper for everyone! Keep two rolls on you at all time for safety!" Wally said, unzipping his backpack to reveal at least a dozen rolls of toilet paper. Flash stared. "ALL you brought was some toilet paper!?" he asked, alarmed.

"Not JUST toiler paper! This is Charmin, baby, THE toilet paper..." Wally said. Batman sighed. Sparrow was squeezing her roll of Charmin happily, while Robin was stacking his, and Roy was just banging his head against the wall. It was going to be a long weekend.


	49. Left Behind

"Your first order of business to survive is to find water." Batman said. They'd just stepped off the ship and looked around, slightly shocked. They were in a valley with a mountain far off in the distance. It was cold, and the brown, waist high grasses were all blown to the left.

"But it's... flat." Roy said, rubbing his upper arms, trying to get some heat back into them.

"So? We go up the mountain- water flows from high elevations." Wally said. "We just have to get to the mountain. I can carry Scarlet and Dick... Maybe you, too..."

"What about Batman and the others?" Dick asked, looking at the mentors. "How will they get there?"

"We won't be. It's up to you to find water. We'll be there once you've found it." Batman informed them.

"Then let's go." Scarlet said, jumping onto Wally's back.

"Make sure the toilet paper stays securely in the bag." Wally ordered, before taking off. He returned for Dick, then Roy. He awkwardly put his arm around the larger boy before taking off. Roy gasped- the speed was blinding. He choked on multiple bugs, his toes burned as his shoes scraped the bottom of the ground, and he staggered and fell as soon as Wally stopped, lying on the ground, staring at the sky, shocked.

"I vote we leave Roy behind. Survival of the fittest." Dick said.

"G-gimme a minute." Roy demanded. Finally, he staggered to his feet. "Okay... What next?"

"We hike. There's bound to be streams running down from higher elevations..." Wally said, science coming in handy now.

"Let's go, then." Roy was still a little winded, but they all started walking anyways. It was a steep incline, with their path filled with frost-covered grass and clumps of shoulder-high grass in large clumps... They were fighting through one if them when it seemed as though the ground fell out from under them...

They landed on moist rock, all shaken and shocked. They were surrounded by darkness, which shocked and terrified them both, except for Scarlet and Dick, since they were Bats.

"We're in an underground cave system." Dick said calmly. Twenty feet above them they saw a hole that they'd fallen through and a spot of gray November sky... The hole had been concealed by the tall grass.

* * *

 

"Are you sure we should've let them go alone? I mean, Roy..."

"Roy was raised on an Indian reservation. He has skills I'm sure you don't even know about." Batman said.

"What about the weather? It's freezing..." Flash said.

"Scarlet and Dick were both born in Russia, they're used to it." Batman said. "They'll be fine. At least, they shouldn't end up dead."

Just then, Oliver's communicator went off. "Ollie? We fell into an underground cave system and..."

* * *

 

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Wally asked. Between the eerie echo of dripping water there was a squeaking sound...

"Bats." Dick and Scarlet said in unison, grinning. Just then there was the screeching of bats as they swarmed them, like a tornado of furry rodents cascading around them...

* * *

 

"They're everywhere!" Roy screamed. There was a large sound of swooshing, shrieking, as well as Wally's terrified screams in the background and Scarlet's laughter...

"What the heck!? Roy, what's going on? What's happening!? Roy!" But the communication had been ended.

Oliver paled. "W-what was that..."

"Sounded like a swarm of bats." Batman said.

"Bats?" Flash said, looking shocked.

"Underground cave systems are where bats like to be..." Batman said.

"Great! They're trapped in an underground cave-system with wild bats! Get out the tracking devices Now!" Flash ordered. Batman rolled his eyes but obeyed. Five minutes later they were landing near the hole. Wally was the first to come out, pale and shaky... The bats had all evacuated the cave by then, and Roy came out next...

"Uncle Barry... they... there were so many bats..." Wally said, sweating and shaking...

"They just kept clawing and screaming and flying..." Roy muttered.

Scarlet and Dick grew tired of waiting and fired their grapple guns, each emerging, Scarlet was laughing.

"Have fun?" Batman asked.

"Yes! It was awesome, there were almost as many bats that were in the bat cave, and..."

"You should've seen their faces!" Dick fell, to the ground laughing then, and Batman hid his smile...

"Not everyone had been raised by a freak who lives in a cave with Bats!" Wally said indignantly.

Batman sent him a batglare, however, that sent him reeling.

Wally dove behind his uncle for cover then, and both birds laughed even harder.

* * *

 

They found water by sundown, a large lake, and the mentors arrive and taught them to purify it. By nine, they al, sat on a log in front of a roaring campfire. Wally was counting rolls of toilet paper, making sure they were all there. Roy pulled out his phone- he'd seen a cute girl and was hoping she'd text him back.

"What did you two pack?" Wally asked.

"Marshmallows and explosive devices." Dick said, pulling out a bag of marshmallows.

"I packed batteries and explosive devices." Scarlet said, pulling out some batteries.

"Okay, the explosive devices I an understand." Roy said, looking at the siblings, Dickg broke off a stick and began to roast his marshmallow.

"I can't. Why explosives?" Wally asked.

"What better way to attract a passing pilot's attention than a big friggin explosion?" Dick asked, before blowing on his golden-brown marshmallow.

"You want it?" he asked Scarlet. She nodded, popping it into her mouth. "Thanks."

"But- wait- where's your flashlight?" Roy asked, looking at Scarlet, confused.

"Flashlight?" Scarlet asked, looking confused.

"Why else would you have batteries?" Roy asked.

"Oh." Scarlet grinned. "Because- they work great with fires. Watch." She threw a D-battery into the fire and it exploded in a shower of sparks and a bang.

"Who did that!?" Flash demanded. The mentors had been talking from a safe distance away.

"He did it!" "she did it!" they all pointed to each other so it was an un-determinable mass of fingers.

"Don't do it again." Batman said to everyone in general. "Now, shouldn't you be focusing on building a shelter?"

"From what?" Dick asked, looking around. "I mean, sticks, mud, bark, animal skins?"

"Sticks." Roy said decidedly. "We already wasted daylight. It you can get me some vines I can make us a stick hut... Peel some bark too, for covering." his skills from being raised on the Indian reservation were already showing.

"Right. Let's move." Dick said, standing.

"Wait. What if we get lost?" Scarlet asked.

"Everybody grab some toilet paper." Roy said, handing out rolls. They tied part of it to a tree and were going to unroll it as they went.

"No! Toilet paper is for bathroom use only! We can't waste it!" Wally said, frantic.

"Chill, Wally, we'll rewind it onto the rolls. It'll be fine." Scarlet said, before they all disappeared into the night.

"The certainly do have a unique way of doing things..." Oliver said, looking at the toilet paper tree.

"Well we can't expect them to be just like us, now can we? Especially in your case, Queen- that would be disastrous." Batman said, smirking.

"Should we wait for them to build it or just sleep now?" Flash asked.

"Sleep now. Trust me, we'll hear it if anything happens." Batman said, pulling out his sleeping bag. They all didn't know what had happened that night, but they woke up t an odd sight. It looked like the kids hadn't found any bark, but had decided to simply cover the walls of the teepee-like structure with toilet paper. And they were sleeping in.

Flash walked over, snapping a picture and smiling. They were all curled up together and huddled for warmth, cuddled together in a heap...

"We need to wake them up." Batman said.

"Are you crazy? Look how adorable they are!" Oliver said, smiling. His son had spread himself over the smaller three, protecting them from the harsh west winds, and he smiled slightly...

"They're wasting daylight. They need to get up." Batman said.

"Come on, Bats, let them sleep a little longer..." Flash pleaded.  
Just then, their communicators went off.

"Batman. We have a situation. Raging forest fires moving to nearby towns. You need to go there and evacuate them and aid in fire prevention methods now." Superman said.

"But we have the kids with us..." Batman said.

"You'll have to leave them. They're not on the fire's path, they can stay, and when the civilians are taken care of we can pick them up..."

"Can't one of us stay?" Oliver asked.

"There are 7,521 people in that town that need help. We'll care of the kids after the civilians. We need you all out there now. You need to go." Superman said. "I'm transmitting you coordinates now. You need to go."

"They can't come with us?" Flash asked, shocked.

"Superman is right. They'd slow us down. We'll write them a note and come back, but we have to go." and they were gone.

Still, as they took off to help those in need, they couldn't help but wonder as to he kids they were leaving behind.


	50. Climbing

"Nyyghhh..." Scarlet stretched and yawned. Roy, who stood and cracked his back outside, found the note pinned to the tree and swore.

"What?" Wally asked, running over, instantly awake.

"The left us here! I don't believe it, but they LEFT us here! Alone! Some emergency or crap!"

"We're alone?" Scarlet asked, looking shocked.

"Yes! They just left us!" Roy punched a tree, infuriated.

"They left us the cooler of food, at least..." Dick pointed out. He opened it. "We have hot dogs and water and some crackers and stuff. Scarlet, stir the fire back up."

Scarlet expertly scampered off to gather some wood, digging through the ask pile to find some live embers and blowing on them. In less than a minute, there was a small fire going.

Roy's anger was momentarily forgotten. "How do you know how to do that?"

"Gypsy skills." Scarlet said, grinning, before pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"Right. I can't believe the left us here." Roy said, sliding down the tree trunk. Wally shrugged, skewering some hotdogs on a stick and putting it above the fire.

"I can. Hero business always comes first. Look on the bright side- at least we still have the toilet paper." Wally pointed out.

"Screw hero business! What about us!? They just sneak off sometime in the night to do some hero crap and leave us in the middle of the woods? Great." Roy sighed.

"Hot dogs are done." Wally said, pulling one off the stick and handing it to Dick. The boy smiled and took a bite, and grease dribbled down his chin... Roy couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Scarlet- Scarlet?" Roy looked up to see she was thirty feet up n a tree and gaping a something.

"Scarlet? What is it?" Wally asked, looking at her curiously.

"Smoke. And tons of it on the horizon. Batman said we were sill five miles and a 500 foot elevation change from the top of the mountain. But I think we better get there. Something's going down."

"Right. Necessities..." Dick threw all the food and water he could carry in the bags, while Wally worked on compressing the toilet paper into his bag...

"Wait. Why are we headed to the top of the mountain?" Roy asked.

"Because there's smoke. That's probably where our mentors are. And maybe we can help..." Dick said, shouldering his pack and nodding to the others. "Now let's go. Scarlet, keep a radio frequency going, try and see if you can pick anything up as we get higher in elevation." Dick ordered.

"Right. It looks like it'll be awhile, though..." Scarlet said, and Dick nodded. "As long as we can go..."

"What direction was the smoke in?" Wally asked, looking interested.

"West." Scarlet said calmly. "It was opposite the rising sun..."

"And it's only around seven in the morning, so we have time. Let's just hope we can make it to the top of the mountain soon."

Roy was silent as they hiked. Everyone was, it seemed, the only sound the animals of the woods and dried pine needles and leaves crunching beneath his feet. Roy was thinking.

He'd been raised on the Indian Reservation after his father, a man working in a logging camp, had died in an effort to save the Indians and put out deadly forest fires. He'd succeeded, but lost his life in the process. Ever since then, Roy feared massive fires...

He wasn't sure what to thin about the possibility of smoke on the horizon, now. It was rough going over the steep terrain, and already they were tired, but the dragged on- because they had nothing else to do. But he wondered- if the did happen to be caught in the fires, would he have the courage to go out fighting like his father had?

They were all sweating, and it was growing colder as they clawed their way up the mountain. Finally, they stopped. The forest had been thinning for a long time, they'd hiked for three hours, and they now faced a sheer rock cliff in front of them.

"No way around it. This is the last hundred feet to the top, where we can see everything. We have to climb." Dick said.

Roy stared. The craggy peaks and few handholds made him wonder if they'd ever pull it off even if they'd HAD proper climbing equipment.

"Can't you use your grapple guns?" Roy asked.

"Too unstable. It might pull out. We have to free-hand it." Scarlet said, staring up the cliff. It would be crazy if they made it, death-defying, even, but she was a Grayson, and she'd done this every day on the trapeze...

"If one of us climbed, we could do it. Maybe. If they dropped down a rope." Wally suggested.

"Except we have no Rope. Except for the grapple gun cable. And that's as likely to slice through your arm at high tensions as it is to hold it." Dick pointed out.

"Free handing, then." Scarlet said, finding her first handhold.

"You're seriously going to try this?" Wally asked, looked at her with a mixture of shock and awe. "What if you fall?"

"Why not? It's not like there's any other way of getting to the top. Besides, I'm a Grayson- Grayson's DON'T fall." She swung sideways towards where her grip was, clutching another handhold before leaping slightly, grabbing another handhold, finding a foothold, taking a breath before lunging up the rocks again...

"She's right. We'd better get going." And Dick was headed uo the rocks as well, at a slightly faster pace.

"How do they DO that?" Wally asked, watching them claw their way up, using mainly their hands only, amazed.

"Just one of those things they do, I guess. Come on. We'd better make sure they don't fall." and Roy found he was pulling himself up as well. He was far less graceful than the birds, and a it wasn't pretty to watch, but he could do it. St twenty feet, he looked down at Wally, cocking an eyebrow. "You coming?"

"Y-yeah." And Wally was shakily finding his handholds and following his surrogate siblings up the rock face.

Twenty feet wasn't very hard, thirty was an effort, and by fifty, they were tired. The last twenty five feet was total agony, with sweaty, cramping hand and arm muscles pulling them up and fumbling legs. They pressed their bodies flat against the craggy rock face, the wind was stronger up here, and forced the,selves to fight through the pain, gritting their teeth against the strain as sweat trickled into their eyes. Dick finally pulled Roy up, and Scarlet helped Wally. They all knelt and looked down, shocked at what they'd just conquered.

"Wow. If we'd have fallen..." Roy said, shocked. That might've been the dumbest thing he'd ever done. One slip, one false move, and he'd have fallen to his dead. Dick had stood and turned to see down the other side of the moutain, which was a much more gradual descent.

"Guys. We have a bigger problem." Scarlet said. She was already looking down the other side if the mountain...

They all looked over to see the forest at the base of the mountain and surrounding grasses all aflame, leading towards a small valley which could only house a settlement of people...

"No kidding." Roy muttered.


	51. Walk through fire

"I think I figured out what our mentors are doing." Wally said.

"No duh! They're putting out the friggin fires before they reach the town!"

"No... they're not. They're probably helping to evacuate the people. There's no way anyone could put out these fires before they hit the town, they'd need a massive amount of water..." Roy said.

"You mean like that dam over there?" Dick asked. They all looked where he was pointing. Across the valley a thousand feet or so was a massive dam, built where another mountain rose up...

"But even if you could walk through flaming grass to get there, then what?" Wally asked. Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe use our backpacks full of EXPLOSIVE DEVICES to blow the thing and flood the valley before the village, so the fires couldn't reach."

Roy squinted. "There's some planes. They're evacuating people. They're preparing for the worst."

"But we can stop it." Dick said, shouldering his backpack.

"Wait. You mean we're going to try and cross a sea of fire?" Wally asked.

"Yes. Wally, can you run through it?"

"Not without a ton of wind fanning the flames even more. That might make it even worse."

"Right. Then we'll have to do it normal-speed. The detonators are remote control as long as they don't catch fire we're good."

"Right. You two, ditch the capes. Unless you want to be walking torches." Roy tore up the discarded capes, soaking each in water and tying them over his sibling's faces, before holding a wet cloth over his own. They were before the flames, but it wouldn't hurt to practice...

Hell had never felt so real. They waded waist-deep through flames, trying not to panic and choke on the billowing smoke and to keep each other in sight, while making sure they were headed in the right direction. The heat was unbearable, it was hard to breathe, and by the time they were halfway through they felt like collapsing into the flames and giving up. But none of them would let the others do that.

"Keep going..." Roy gasped. His eyes were watering from the smoke, the heat was crazy, and he felt like collapsing, but the one thought that kept him on his feet was that if he went down, his siblings wouldn't leave him, and they'd ALL die...

"Come on..." Dick muttered. Sweat poured from their bodies. The costumes were flameproof, mostly, but the heat burned fiercely... The flames stretched into an eternity, but finally, they reached a small area where the fire had burned itself out and collapsed on the charred grass, gasping for air...

They'd all been hit with the realization they wanted to give up while walking through the fire, and that if they did, they'd die. That alone would've been enough to scare any average kid into giving up- but they weren't average.

"It's spreading. We have to stop it- now." Scarlet rasped. Their throats were all bone dry from the smoke, and Roy nodded.

"We can get to high ground, but someone needs to plant the detonators..."

Dick nodded. He and Scarlet would be the best choice, with their acrobat past and knowledge of explosives. "You ready?" he asked.

Scarlet nodded, pulling her grappling gun from within her utility belt. It was yet another sheer, rocky climb besides the smooth concrete dam wall, and she wrapped an arm around Roy and pulled them both up. Roy climbed the remaining ten feet to the top, and Wally followed after when Dick swung up.

"You ready?" he asked, and Scarlet nodded. They'd handed the backpacks on to Roy and Wally, taking three each, and the plan was Roy would drop them down to them when they needed more...

"One every twenty feet. If this doesn't work, we're screwed." Dick said, nodding to her. From there, it was a dance with 'd secured the line fro, the grappling hooks to their belts, but might pull loose if they swung around too much. Still, Dick was pushing his feet off, swinging to the side and planting detonators as best he could. He fired another line, moving up...

Scarlet finished the areas he'd missed, twisting and swooping like a cat, before she fired up the final line. It arched well over the cliff and hit the ground, and Wally looped it around a tree while Roy pulled. Scarlet grabbed Dick on her way up, and they all just laid on the top of the cliff a moment later, exhausted...

"Fifty feet away. Then we can detonate." Dick said. They all wearily got to their feet and trooped away before Dick pulled out the detonator. "We sure about this, guys?"

"Just hit the dam button." Roy said, exhausted. Dick did- nothing happened. They all exchanged nervous glances. What if the detonator hadn't-

before the worried thought could finish, a blast knocked them all off their feet, concrete crumbled and the dam gave, the larger pieces of concrete, at least several tons, crashing down into the flaming valley, followed by several thousand gallons of water.

They stared, shocked, as the two forces warred, water clashing with fire... And then all that was left was smoke.

"We... we actually did it..." Scarlet panted, hacking. They were all light-headed frm the smoke, and she coughed up some soot.

"Yeah... We did." Roy said, looking up at the smoke. That was all that remained of the fire. Smoke and rubble... I did it, Dad. he thought proudly, before Wally shook him excitedly.

"Come on, man, let's go!" Wally whined.

"Go where?" Roy asked.

"To the town we just saved. Duh." Scarlet was already getting to her feet, exhaustion almost forgotten.

"Why? Our mentors will figure out where we are soon enough. I mean, we caused a huge explosion, they'll figure it was us."

"That's not the point. The point is, we get to make a dramatic entrance." Dick said. "Like in the movies. Now let's go."

They slowly picked their way around the rubble, working their way down what had been the dam until they reached the valley floor.

There was an inch or two of standing water there, but Dick smiled. "Perfect. No fire is going to get past THIS."

And he was right, The fires raging at the other side of the mountain stopped abruptly at the valley.

"What about the town?" Scarlet asked, wondering aloud.

"It's a few miles east. There's probably a rise in elevation, this is just a water basin here- the town will be fine." Wally said calmly.

"Yeah- except they'll need a new dam." Roy muttered, and they all burst out laughing. Roy sighed. He was exhausted, they all were. But they had a dramatic entrance to make. They'd keep walking.

"The fire was supposed to have reached this valley an hour ago." Batman said, looking confused.

He'd been heading evacuation efforts and was also on fire watch. He could still see no flames in the distance, only smoke...

"So it's a little late. That's a GOOD thing, since we've hardly evacuated anyone." Flash said over his comm. The people here had instead decided to stay with their homes, and stood by the masses, watching the smoky horizon. They'd worked hard to build their homes here, lived here, and the were willing to die here.

"Look!" Someone pointed, and Batman saw four figured emerging from the smoke. He stared. "Flash, Arrow- get down here. NOW."

"It's Speedy! And Kid Flash, and Robin, and Sparrow!" people were yelling, some cheering...

"There is no danger!" Roy yelled. "We managed to put out the fires in the valley..."

"How?" Someone asked.

"We blew up the dam." Scarlet said hoarsely. "The lower valley's flooded- a few inches worth of water. But no fire."

And the cheering started then. It abruptly stopped when Batman, Flash, and Green Arrow emerged, looking at them.

"All of you- we need to debrief." Batman said as an excuse before he turned. All the kids fell int step behind him, feeling like real heroes as everyone regarded them with warm looks and respect. They'd done it.


	52. She Stil Likes Camping

"So then we climbed the cliffs! Eeep!" Scarlet cried out in pain and pulled away from where Wonder Woman had been dabbing a her cuts. The rocks had torn up all of their hands, not to mention burns from the fire and general exhaustion.

While no one reacted visibly, they all inwardly cringed at hearing the girl's cry of pain. This was the last thing they'd wanted. The sidekicks had been, yet again,hurt. Batman patched u Dick, while Wonder Woman cleaned the cuts on Scarlet's hands, Oliver smoky sat staring at Roy, and Barry sponged the soot off his nephew's face.

"You mean the cliffs east of the campsite? The ONE HUNDRED FOOT VERTICAL CLIMB!?" Oliver asked, shocked.

"That's the one. Ugh, ugh!" Roy's words were punctuated by a weak cough at the end, the were all still reeling from smoke inhalation.

"You used the grappling guns?" Batman asked.

Dick shook his head. "Too craggy and unstable. We were afraid they'd pull out mid-climb. We free-handed." the boy wonder let his eyes fluttered closed so he was still resting and listening.

"So you just.. climbed? No ropes, no gear, no gadgets?" Barry asked, shocked.

"Yep. Then we had to walk through the valley while it was on fire!" Wally said, slightly less peppy than normal, but cheerful none the less.

"You walked through that without collapsing?" Batman asked. Scarlet, Dick, and Superman were the only ones good enough to Bat-speak to detect the surprise in his voice.

"Sure did." Scarlet said, watching as Wonder Woman tenderly wrapped her now cleaned and dressed hands in bandages.

"Barely." Roy added.

"And you blew up the dam how?" Barry asked.

"Explosives. Never leave home without 'em." Dick said, smiling tiredly.

"Right. And you then walked to the village because?" Batman asked.

"We wanted to make a dramatic entrance." Scarlet said. Dick flushed but they were all covered in soot, so e was sure no one saw it. Their reason for walking to the village seemed pretty stupid, now...

"The league will discuss this. But for now, rest assured we are NEVER dong this again." Batman said, standing. He'd finished treating Dick's injuries and looked over at Scarlet. All the kids looked exhausted, but they'd done incredibly well, considering the circumstances...

"Darn it. And we didn't even get to use the tolite paper." Wally muttered.

"Get some rest- all of you. You have school, Monday." Barry said, A collective moan rose from the group, and the leaguers talk filed out. That was their cue to to and grab a few hours of sleep and heal while they could.

Silence descended on the medbay as the four exhausted children all laid still in bed, contemplating their adventure and triumph. It could've ended in all their deaths, but yet they'd pulled through...

"Hey Roy?, Scarlet asked. She sounded half asleep.

"Yeah Birdie?" Roy asked. He wondered if she was in pain or simply wanted a hug or something...

"I like camping with you guys..." she yawned, and Roy burst out laughing. The kid still loved camping, despite everything... Or maybe she just loved being with them. Roy knew it was most likely the latter, and he smiled.

"Sue you do, kid. Get some sleep."

"G'night, guys." Dick muttered.

"G'night..." Scarlet said, yawning before burrowing under the blankets and promptly falling asleep. Wally was already out cold, and Roy looked from one sibling's face to another, smiling.

"Goodnight."


	53. Black Friday

"So, what should we get them?" Wally asked. "I mean, what do you get the guy who has EVERYTHING?"

"Hookers." Roy mumbled under his breath.

"What? Roy, you have an idea?" Wally demanded.

Roy stared. "What! No- I was... I was singing!" he said, wanting to kick himself across the room. There was no WAY he was explained what hookers were to his little siblings.

"But, seriously, what do we get them!? Batman and GA are rich! They've got EVERYTHING!"

"I got it!" Dick said, running into the room. He was brandishing a picture from a Black Friday Ad.

Roy looked confused. "Bed sheets?"

"Egyptian cotton bed sheets! They're really fancy, and they're only two dollars a set, it's a door buster! We can afford them..."

"I'm sure both Batman and GA have Egyptian cotton bed sheets at home, though." Roy said.

"Yeah. But do they have them on their beds in the WATCHTOWER?" Scarlet asked.

"Sweet! And we can get bedsheets for like EVERY person in the tower! They're only two bucks a piece..."

"Except the sale starts at two am." Dick said. "Oh well. We'll just have to get there early."

They spent all of that week scrounging, picking up change and saving allowances, they'd each managed to scrounge up ten or so dollars.

"Black Friday starts Thursday this year. We have be there six hours early!" Wally announced. And so they did.

They went to bed like normal, Dick and Scarlet soundlessly slipping out the windows. Wally and Roy did the same, and they all started camping out near the front of the store.

A large, mean lady strode up to them. "Move." she ordered, scowling down her nose at them.

"We were here first!" Wally said defensively, giving her an equally mean glare.

"Oh?" she stepped on Scarlet's hand then with her heavy boot, and Scarlet yipped, trying desperately to pull her hand out from under the boot.

"Okay, that's it, Lady! You're second in line! Now leave my sister alone!"

"And if I don't?"

"I'll call the cops." Roy said, flashing his cell phone screen. It showed he'd already dialed the number.

The woman scowled. "And if I call your bluff?"

"Oh, I'm not bluffing. And I'll have you arrested for assaulting my sister's hand!" Roy really wanted to punch her, but he held back. This woman was a civilian, and while she was a jerk, she didn't deserve to be punched... yet.

The woman scowled and backed off, and Dick wrapped Scarlet's injured hand in his scarf, sighing. "I'm glad that's over with."

Roy shook his head. "People get really crazy around black Friday- that was only the first of many battles."

And Roy was right. By the time two a.m. rolled around, they'd been kicked, stomped on, and an old lady who'd asked politely to cut in front of them had 'accidentally' let her dentures fall onto Dick when they refused, saying then the whole line would want to cut.

"Remember the plan. We run right to Macy's, grab a cart, raid the bed sheet display, and check out. Nothing else."

Dick nodded. "Right. Unless..."

"No plan changes! Just In, bed sheets, out." Roy ordered. Then the doors opened.

"Roy!" He heard Dick's frantic screams as they were drowning in legs of frantic shoppers.

"Stick to the plan! The plan!" Roy yelled, bolting to his feet and running towards Macy's. He wished he could stay to help Dick, but the bed sheets were in more danger. Other people could buy them!

He hoped Scarlet and Wally had escaped the carnage as the mass of people entering the mall. He sprinted up the down escalator, since there was less congestion, and ran into Macy's.

"Cart cart cart..." he mumbled frantically, looking around. There were no shopping carts!

He found one in the corner, then, grabbing it and racing towards the large bed sheet display.

He saw he wasn't he only one who'd escaped. For there, like a little angel atop the tree, was Scarlet. She'd climbed an artificial Christmas tree for a better vantage point.

"500 yards left!" she yelled. Roy started pushing feverishly towards there, and Scarlet jumped down, scampering towards the display before climbing to the top.

Shoppers were stampeding towards them...

"What color do I get!?" Scarlet yelled.

"ANY COLOR! JUST GET THEM!" Roy yelled.

Frantic shoppers had begun to tear the display apart, and Roy feverishly counted the sets of sheets he was throwing into the cart...

Somewhere along the line, Dick and Wally stumbled in to help, but someone looked up and saw Scarlet.

"Kid! Get down from there!" they hurled a package of bed sheets and Scarlet fell, the entire display going with her...

When people realized the bed sheets were scattered all around, they headed for the largest concentration of them, which was Roy's cart. Desperate hands reached into the cart, and Roy threw his body over it to stop them.

"Protect the cart!" Roy yelled. Scarlet fell on top of him, biting hands and forcing people back, and Dick and Wally pushed the cart through the carnage to the check-out...

"Gimme some of those sheets!" Someone yelled.

"You have too many! Give 'em to us!" someone else yelled.

Roy simply placed them all on the store counter. Store security made a protective barrier around the group and they all received two large bags of sheets before fleeing the mall, fearing for their lives...

They zetaed to the watch tower, all collapsing onto the floor a moment later.

"We... are never... going black Friday shopping... again." Roy got out.


	54. Operation Freakout: Stage 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce decides the kids should get involved in some extra-curricular activities. The kids come up with a plan to get out of it.

"Scarlet, Dick- you need to participate in more activities at school." Bruce said calmly one night at dinner, after school had just started. "I know crime fighting keeps you busy, but Gotham doesn't- they expect you to be more outgoing. So you both need to join a sport. It'll double as training time and an extracurricular."

"But Dad..." Scarlet said, looking shocked.

"No. Dick, I have to play pretend for the press all the time- you two need to look more... normal. If you play sports, the press might quit hounding us. I need you guys to do this. So think about what you want to do for a few days, okay?"

Both children looked morose as they finished dinner and headed upstairs.

* * *

 

"Dick- I'm not good at sports. I mean, I am- that's the problem. If I'm too good, they'll suspect something..." Scarlet said.

Dick grinned. "I already have a plan. We just need to freak Bruce out enough that he doesn't want us in sports anymore... Now, come on int my room and I'll explain it to you..."

The next day at dinner, Scarlet and Dick exchanged grins.

"So, have you two figured out what you want to do?" Bruce asked.

"Sure did. I got onto the cheer leading squad." Dick said, beaming. Bruce choked on his milk, staring.

"You what?" he asked, shocked.

"I made the cheer leading squad. It's awesome- I get to do acrobatics and stuff, and the coach lets me wear pants in my uniform..."

Bruce nodded, trying to keep it calm. Dick had been an acrobat in the circus. But his son, Dick, a CHEERLEADER?

"And you, Scarlet? Did you get on the squad?" Bruce asked.

Scarlet shook her head. "Didn't try out. But I made the football team."

"The football team?"

"Yup. I'm going to need some pads, a helmet and some other stuff, but the coach says I'm light enough on my feet for it. He wants me to be a receiver. Practice starts tomorrow, so Alfred will have to pick me up a bit later. Same with Dick." Scarlet said calmly. "Oh, and I got my uniform. Wanna see?"

"Maybe later, Scarlet. Why don't you guys head on up and get ready for bed... No patrol tonight, everyone's in Arkham." Bruce said, and both kids raced upstairs, leaving a shocked Bruce downstairs.

"Something wrong, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as he started to clear the dishes.

"Nothing, Alfred, it's just... Dick as a cheerleader? People will think he's... gay..."

"Is that a bad thing, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, cocking an eyebrow. "If the boy enjoys it, I don't see why it's harmful."

"I guess, but... Scarlet is SMALL, Alfred, she's going to be playing football with boys much bigger than she is."

"You are the one who told them they need to join a sport, Master Bruce. As for your fears with Scarlet, perhaps you should speak to Lucius at Wayne Tech and have them develop shock absorbing football pads for Master Scarlet. She's fast enough she'll be able to hold her own. I seem to remember your father having similar concerns when you wanted to take a cooking class in middle school." Alfred said calmly.

Bruce sighed. "Yes, but... never mind. I'll figure it out." Bruce said, heading up to his room. But the chaos had just begun...


	55. Operation Freakout: Stage 2

"How's operation Freak Out going?" Scarlet asked. They'd just left Bruce downstairs, and were both happy with how shocked he'd been...

"Good. I just hope don't have to be a cheerleader for too long." Dick said, studying his uniform.

"Yeah. And I hoe you an teach me how to play football before the game next week. I still don't understand it, Dickey." Scarlet said, looking downcast.

"You'll get it eventually. All you need to know is the guy throws you the ball and you run with it- you run all the way to the end zone, and if anyone gets in your way, you smash 'em."

"Like with the bad guys?" Scarlet asked.

"No, like, shove them out of the way and keep running. I'll show you tomorrow, before dinner."

Scarlet nodded. "I hope this works, Dickey." she said, looking uncertain.

"Yeah- me too." Dick admitted.

"How was practice?" Bruce asked as Dick entered in his cheerleading uniform.

"Good." Dick said, smiling. "The girls all love me, and the coach says I'm the best acrobat they have, They want me to go on during the mini half-time show at the first football game next week."

Bruce nodded. "Great. Dick, do you... like the girls?" Bruce asked.

Dick blushed slightly. He realized Bruce as wondering if he was gay or not. He shrugged, "I could live without them." he said, because he knew that would freak Bruce out, And in truth, he COULD live without girls...

Bruce was freaking out. What if his son was gay? How would he explain this toi the justice league? What if his son wasn't gay, or what if... It was already awkward letting Dick be a cheer leader, but he was officially scared.

Dick saw the thoughts racing around in his father's head and grinned. Operation Freak Out was, so far, a success.

Scarlet limped in. "Hey Dad." she said. She was still wearing her football pads, but it was clear she was hurt by her purple, swelling eye and split lip...

"Scarlet, what happened?" Bruce demanded, running over to her.

"Practice. The coach said I must have a high pain tolerance." Scarlet said, tossing her helmet onto a chair. She was covered in mud and blood...

"That's it. I'm calling the coach." Bruce said firmly.

"Dad- no! I finally started to get some respect once I started bleeding- if you tell the coach to make it easy on me, all the guys will think I'm a ninny! I mean, the coach offered me ice and everything. I just wanted to keep playing. I mean, I have to be good- the first game is NEXT WEEK."

Bruce looked at his pleading daughter and sighed, putting his phone back into his pocket.

"Fine. But if you get seriously hurt, I'm taking you out of the game."

Scarlet nodded, heading upstairs to get cleaned up for dinner.

"Scarlet! Wait! All the cheerleaders are excited there's a girl on the football team. We even made a new cheer for you! Fight girl fight, catch that ball, kick some butt and win it all!" Dick punctuated it with a backflip and shook his pom-poms, and Bruce resisted the urge to blush, His son WANTED this, he reminded himself, he had to allow his son to grow up...

"Great. Let's just hope I can get through the game." Scarlet said, flashing a grin before heading upstairs.

Bruce was on pins and needles the whole week. Press wanted interviews with his children, and the security at Gotham Academy had to be upped to keep the paparazzi out.

Ever afternoon Scarlet came home covered in mud, sopping wet, and sometimes, blood.

Dick would be mumbling cheers under his breath and practicing his routine in the front yard, and Bruce... Bruce was wondering if the sports thing as a good idea. But he'd promised his children he'd come to the first game, because he wanted to be sure that a) Scarlet wasn't injured and b) Dick knew he was... (shudder) supporting him.

But finally, the big night came.

"Helloooo Gotham! Tonight we have our visiting team, the Blackgate Devils, VS our home boys- err... home team, the Gotham Knights!"

Cheers rang out. GothamAcademy was a wealthy school, they had a football field with bleachers for their middle school...

The lights all around flicked on as both teams ran onto the field, waving, excited, chomping at the bit, with their helmets off.

Bruce watched the hulking forms of the Blackgate Devils as they came out- the kids were like wrecking balls, huge, and Blackgate was a rough town, known for Blackgate prison... He was contemplating pulling Scarlet out right here...

He watched the forms of the boys all emerge, most with short cropped brown hair, until a very small form with a raven ponytail came out, grinning and waving along with the others.

"You excited?" a redhead with freckles named Jaxon asked her.

She nodded. "You know it, Jax." she'd become friends with Jaxon during the first practice, since he respected her determination...

She waved to Bruce, flashing another smile, before she pulled her helmet on.

"Scarlet Scarlet she's our girl, watch her give that ball a whirl! Wooo!" the cheerleaders yelled, and Dick waved with his pom-pom.

"You understand the game at all?" Jaxon asked. He'd been trying all week t teach t to her.

"I get that I'm supposed to catch the ball and run into the end zone." Scarlet said.

"Close enough." Jaxon said, patting her helmet as they each popped in mouth guards.

The coach called them over. Coach Mcguther was a nice man, understanding of his players and calm and caring, always there to listen when they needed it.

"Alright. Starting lineup has Murry as QB, Johnson as halfback..." he read off the list, and when he got to receivers, Scarlet was disappointed.

"Grayson, you're backup duty. We might need you if someone gets hurt. Run a hitch, and let's do this. Go!"

Scarlet sighed, taking to the bench with the other players. Jaxon was halfback and he grinned at her. She knew he didn't mean to make her feel bad and was only happy she was starting, but it hurt anyways...

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief from the bleachers. Scarlet wasn't starting. She probably wouldn't play in this game at all, he reasoned...

Until halftime. Right before it, Bobby Crest, the wide receiver, went down. He yelped, Scarlet had seen his ankle twist, and the second quarter ended.

Bobby's father carried him off the felid and a nurse from the audience came to examine him. He was crying, and Scarlet felt slightly bad, but she hoped he was hurt so she could play...

The cheerleaders filed out for their routine, and she forced herself to watch Dick. He'd been working hard, and the girls all swooned over him. Besides, she wanted to see what he'd been working on.

"K-N-I-G-H-T-S! What's that spell? Knights!" the girls let their arms fall to their sides and chanted as they walked into their places. "Knights knights knights! We will fight fight fight!" The girls went up into three mounts, and Dick came on then, doing back handspring after back handspring in front of them, ending it with a double backflip and an American split. The crowd roared, and she smiled. Her brother was THE BEST cheerleader.

Just then, coach Mcguther came and sat beside her. "Scarlet- you're wide receiver."

She jumped to her feet. "Really?" she asked, hoping it wasn't a joke.

Mcguther sighed. "Yes, really. But honey, those boys are big... Be careful."

"Sure things, coach! I won't disappoint you!" she popped in her mouth guard and pulled on her helmet before she was out on the field.

From there, she was pared up with a mammoth boy who loved to hit her as hard as he possibly could while she was trying to get open. She knew the basic plays, but the boy loved to simply fall forward on her, taking her to the ground, when she wasn't looking.

Bruce wanted to pull her out of the game, and every time the boy hit her with a tackle, he prayed she'd stay down. But she'd just stagger to her feet and get back to the line...

"Oh! And Grayson takes another hit! Wow, she's taking a beating tonight..." the announcer said, and Bruce winced. Why had he let her ever join the team?

At the third quarter, though, it got personal.

He tackled her once again, making sure to lean close to her ear while he was on top of her. "Circus peanut." he scoffed. He stood up then, stepping on her back with his cleat and walking across her like a rug to get back to the line.

"Did you see that!?" Coach Mcguther demanded, staring at the ref. "Did you see that!? Call a penalty!"

The ref looked at him like he was stupid. "Maybe little girls shouldn't play football." he said. He left coach Mcguther standing there in disbelief.

"TIME OUT!" Dick yelled. He and the cheerleaders had seen it all, and he was ticked...

"Cheerleaders can't call timeouts, stupid!" Said the boy who'd been thrashing Scarlet throughout the game.

"Well I just did. Scarlet, come here." Dick ordered.

Scarlet painfully got up and dragged herself over. They were losing, it was twenty eight to sixteen, and it seemed like there was no hope...

"Look at me." Dick pulled her helmet off. She was soaking wet from the damp field and covered in dirt. "That jerk is just wants to make yo quick. I want you to tackle him- no, not tackle- I want you to totally throw yourself at his face if he intercepts the ball, understood? And I want you to outrun that jerk, and win! Now do it for the cheerleaders." Dick put her helmet back on and nodded to her. "I know you can do it."

"Hey! Get back on the field, kid!" someone yelled. She strode on with newfound energy, facing the boy who was supposed to be blocking her.

He'd backed off slightly, but only because the ball was headed for a nearby receiver...

"And the devils intercept! He's going for it, folks..."

Scarlet remembered what Dick had said. Tackle if he intercepted. He was ten feet away, and she threw herself at the running boy from behind, slamming herself into his back and throwing him off balance, dragging him down like he wildebeest he was...

"I don't believe it, folks! Scarlet Grayson stops him at the forty yard line! Scarlet Grayson just took down that mountain of a boy from Blackgate! The kid can't weigh more than seventy pounds and she did it!"

She stood up and smiled at the roaring crowd, looking for one face... Bruce was cheering. That was all she needed to see, and she trotted back to the line.

From there they held off Blackgate for four more plays, forcing them to turn over.

While the defensive boys from Blackgate were running after Kevin, another receiver, Scarlet brought down one, jumping to her feet and racing after he other, bringing him down, too, and freeing Kevin up to run for the touchdown.

They kicked the extra point, making it twenty three to twenty eight. They were only down by 5. They had a shot. They forced Blackgate to turn over again with less than a minute left in the game. They were at the forty yard line. Scarlet showed her teeth to the boy who'd been trying to drag her down the whole time and hissed, and he growled...

"Hut!"

She took off at a speed Flash would envy, running...

All the other receivers were covered, and Jaxon saw her a pointed.

"Throw to Scarlet!"

And the quarterback did. She caught it and ran, the nasty boy on her tail the whole time. But she had three strides ahead of him and she ran hard, hitting the thirty yard line, the twenty, the ten...

"Touchdown for the knights!"

She still didn't stop running, she was in the heat of the moment...

"Scarlet! Scarlet, you can stop running now!" she made it another twenty yards before Dick chased her down and managed to grab her...

"Dick? What...?"

"You can stop running, Scarlet. You got the touchdown." Dick chuckled, bringing her back to the field. The crowd laughed slightly at her mistake, but were more reverent that she'd managed to get the touchdown...

"There's eleven second left in the game. You did it, Scarlet- you practically won the whole thing."

She hurried over to her teammates, who were dead set slapping her on the back...

They held them off for the last eleven seconds, keeping them from field goal range. "Knights win, folks, twenty nine to twenty eight!"

And everyone was cheering, then.

Scarlet grinned and staggered off the field to where Bruce was waiting.

He enveloped her in a hug. "I am so proud of you..."

She nodded. "Carry me?" she asked, eyes imploring him. She was EXHAUSTED, and Bruce obliged. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in his arms.


	56. Operation Freakout: Success

"Tati?" Scarlet woke up in the car, battered, bruised, and feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. There was dried blood on her face, but she was victorious. Bruce had elected ti sit in the back with her while Alfred drove with Dick up front.

"Yes, birdie?" Bruce asked, leaning close to her.

"How'd I do?" she asked quietly, blinking sleepily.

"You did wonderful, baby. Wonderful. So did Dick." Dick smiled from where he sat in the front seat. he reached out to pat her arm and she yipped in pain.

"What hurts?" he demanded, instantly worried.

"I... everything." Scarlet panted. "But... it'll heal. I think. Tati... do I HAVE to play sports?" she asked. Now was the time to turn on the cuteness, she knew. This was THE D-day of Operation Freak out.

"Well..." Bruce looked uncertain.

Dick sensed their father was undecided and made a move. "Squirrel!" he yelled, pointing, and Alfred slammed on the breaks. It was dark out, so Alfred believed him. The sudden stop sent Scarlet rolling onto the floor, crying out in pain and wincing, curling into the fetal position...

Bruce stared, alarmed, gently grabbing Scarlet under the arms and pulling her up onto his lap. She took slow, measured breaths, and Bruce could feel her shaking and knew all these injuries had come from the game.

"No, Scarlet, you don't have to play sports." Bruce said quietly.

"I see no squirrel, Master Dick." Alfred said, shooting an annoyed glance at his charge.

"It was a black squirrel, I just saw the headlights reflect in its eyes..." Dick said, trying not to smile. "How're the bruises feeling, Scarlet?"

"Wanna sleep..." Scarlet muttered, slightly grumpy. Operation Freak out was a success , and she was exhausted and bruised, Dick had had it easy- performing and being surrounded by hot cheerleaders fawning over him. She'd had the crap beat out if her by those boys and she was ready to SLEEP. Bruce brushed the hair from her face, and she laid her head in his lap and drifted off once again...

* * *

 

"Happy birthday, Scarlet." Bruce tossed the just turned seven year old a set of keys. She stared at them, shocked "You got me a CAR?"

Bruce looked confused. "No, I thought the keys would be enough..." her face fell, and Bruce chuckled. "I'm kidding. It's not a car, but you'll like it. It's out front." Before he had finished the sentence she took off running.

There was a joyful scream a moment later, and Bruce grimaced and smiled at the same time.

"IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!" she said, hugging Bruce before racing forward. She stopped in front of the cobalt blue dirt bike that was perfectly her size. She reached out and touched it, as though making sure it was there, before jumping onto it happily.

"You know how to ride? This is your break, and that's the throttle..." Bruce was showing her everything, now. She knew about them all ready, of course, Bruce had gotten Dick a red bike for his birthday exactly like it, and Dick had graciously allowed her to ride it alone once.

"And your helmet." Bruce produced a matching blue racing helmet and put it on her head, making sure it fit properly. He pulled up the visor so he could see her eyes.

"Promise me you'll be careful?" he asked.

"Sure, Dad. I'm seven, now. I'm invincible! Can I ride it now, please?" she asked, practically vibrating from excitement.

"Alright. But be safe." Bruce ordered. Her bruises from the football game that had become legend were almost healed, now, a week later, and he didn't want her getting any new ones.

She turned the key and the engine roared to life. She grinned, kicking up the peg, before revving the motor and taking off. There was another roar and a flash of red, and Bruce smiled slightly, seeing Dick pull up alongside her as they tore across the yard of the estate. He'd show her the ropes to riding.

"Master Bruce, are you quite she's safe on that... contraption?" Alfred asked, looking at him, slightly alarmed.

Bruce smiled. "Yes. Those helmets they're wearing are from Wayne-tech- Lucius just developed them. They're equivalent to the helmets our soldiers are currently wearing for firefights in Iraq and can take the impact of gunfire- they'll be fine."

Alfred smiled. "I should've known, Master Bruce. I should've known."


	57. Metallica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy is determined not to let a sudden change in plans ruin his time at a concert.

"Wait, What?" Roy asked, looking shocked.

"You heard us, Roy- emergency in the middle east- you have to watch them." Oliver said as he grabbed his quiver, Batman and Flash were already gearing up to leave the watch tower.

"But Ollie- the Metallica concert is tonight!" Roy said, desperate.

"Hero business comes first, Roy- you can go to a concert anytime." Oliver said. "Now quit sulking." and he, Bats, and Flash, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, were gone.

Roy just stared at where they'd stood, immensely ticked off. This was the last concert in Metallica's tour, it'd bee months before they performed again with the holidays coming up, and he was GOING to see that concert tonight.

"Hey Roy- Wanna play hide and seek?" Sparrow asked.

"Nope. Change into your civvies, guys- we're going out tonight." Roy said, grinning.

Oliver had made a big mistake in giving him a credit card, and the fourteen year old whipped it out, buying three more tickets for the concert.

He printed them- it was seven thirty now, if he hurried and zetaed to star with them now, he could make it in time.

* * *

 

Roy smiled as he saw the looks of awe on his sibling's faces as they entered the stadium. The place was massive, with crowds of teens adorned in Metallica Tees and some with classic punk hair and piercings, clearly still reveling in the early, punk days of the band.

"Cool..." Dick muttered, staring at the massive screen setup behind the stage to broadcast the performers. The band hadn't started up yet, the lights were off, and there were the general murmurs of thousands of people talking all garbled into one, white noise. Scarlet held Roy's hand a little tighter, and Wally sniffed the air excitedly, turning his head to the side.

He narrowed his eyes. "Nachos." he ground out seriously. And before Roy could say anything, Wally charged headlong into the line of incredibly intoxicated people waiting in line at the concession stand.

Great. The show hadn't even started up yet, and they were already getting into trouble.

Before they attracted any unwanted attention, Roy seized Wally by the collar, managing to drag him away from the stand.

"I want nachos!" Wally pleaded.

"I'll get you some later." Roy ground out, managing to placate him. By some miracle, he got all three excited kids into their seats.

A generic band was opening that night, and nobody really got into it. Some bottles were thrown onto the stage when the lead singer, whose name Roy didn't even know, managed to blow a mike, and after that they walked off-stage.

People began lighting blunts and passing bottles, and when the man next to them pulled out a fifth of vodka and began blowing up balloons and throwing them around, Roy realized maybe he shouldn't have brought them to a Metallica concert.

But just then, the pyrotechnics on the stage went off, shooting sparks, and James Hetfield ran onto the stage, belting out the lyrics of the Four Horsemen as the guitars began to scream.

Roy calmed down slightly. He could keep his siblings focused on the show before them, distract them from the rampid substance abuse around them, and get them home before midnight, all while enjoying the concert for himself.

But when they began to play Puppet Master, the seats beneath them literally vibrated with the force of the cheering as people stomped their feet.

From there, Roy was powerless- he could only watch in horror as the waves of people enveloped them, racing to get as close to the stage as possible, sweeping his siblings out of sight. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by screaming, rioting fans. For the first time that night, he absolutely, totally panicked.

They were gone.

* * *

 

He could imagine them all being trampled by the over-zealous crowd, and he fought off the fear rising in his throat like bile as nervous tears sprang to his eyes.

"Scarlet! Dick! Wally!"

But his voice was swallowed up in the crowd. It was no use- they were gone.

Dick found himself being swept towards a mosh-pit below, and he watched, fascinated, as the fans inside the circle of by standards slammed into one another, before bouncing back into the circle and colliding again, and again. It looked incredibly cool.

Just then, a shirtless man raced over to Dick, holding what looked to be an enormous amount of pixie-stick dust in hand, with a rolled up five-dollar bill stuffed up his nose.

Without missing a beat, the man grinned at Dick, managing to suck up every last bit of pixie-stick dust through his nose, before seizing Dick's hand with his own greasy one. "Let's screw crap up, son!" and he was dragged into the mosh-pit.

* * *

 

Wally found himself swimming upstream, making his way towards the concessions stand. He got there, and was greeted by a crowd of glassy-eyed folks stumbling around, glasses in hand. There were really more of an annoyance than anything, and Wally scowled at them, managing to make his way to the counter and order a bucket of fried chicken. The clerk raised her pierced eyebrows at him when she heard the order, but when he slammed a twenty dollar bill on the counter, looking dead serious, she punched in his order.

He happily took his bucket of chicken and started walking towards where he thought they'd been sitting.

He got as close as he could, before finding an empty seat next to a man with a Mohawk that was dyed green and a pierced lip. The man raised his eyebrows slightly when Wally sat next to him, and Wally shot him a glance, nodding cooly to him before beginning to gnaw on a chicken leg and enjoy the show.

* * *

 

Scarlet looked around the crowd, a little bit surprised when she couldn't find Roy.

She was totally dwarfed by taller people, unable to see anything over the crowd. And she was right next to a gigantic mosh-pit. She stared, wide eyed, at people slamming into people, letting out rebel yells.

Lights were flashing, the music was loud, and she had no idea where anyone was. She felt tears of frustration and fear prickle at the back of her eyes, but quickly scrubbed the back of her hand across her eyes, sniffing. She was seven. Seven year olds didn't cry.

It was then she saw a shock of red hair on the other side of the sea of slam-dancers. "Roy!" she yelled, hope suddenly blossoming within her chest.

He didn't hear her, and she realized she'd have to get to him- she ducked behind someone's legs, walking straight into the mosh-pit.

* * *

 

Dick had finally made it to the edge of the mosh pit. He was incredibly disoriented- flashing lights and screaming fans could do that to a person. But he could finally get OUT of this god-forsaken pit, and work on finding Roy. He was just about to step outside the ring of people encircling the slam-dancers, when all of a sudden he was thrown over someone's shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Yeeeaaahhhh! Star City!" Whoever was carrying him shouted. It was all Dick could do to hold on as the man sprinted through the screaming crowd, cheering excitedly, until they reached the bar near the edge of the stadium.

It was then the man who was carrying him set him down, and Dick saw he was a 6' 3" man with a shaved head, arms covered in tattoos. The man looked down at him, confused for a moment.

"You're not Manny..." he said, looking at Dick like he was a disappointment, before running back into the crowd, yelling, "Maaannnnny!

Dick just stared after him, a slightly confused look on his face.

The bartender did, as well. "You know that guy, kid?" he asked.

Dick shook his head.

"Well, here- have a sprite."

Dick happily hopped up on the bar stool, content to wait until Roy found him.

* * *

 

The mosh-pit had been a terrible idea, Scarlet realized, as she was bowled over for the fourth time. Everyone was so BIG, nobody was paying enough attention to avoid running her over, and she curled into a ball on the ground, trying her best to avoid the feet of strangers as they rampaged around her... She just wanted Roy.

When the fifth person had stepped on her, and she was certain she was going to be trampled, someone seized her by the collar and yanked her to her feet. She found herself staring into the concerned green eyes of a man of about twenty, and he quietly shielded her with his body as he weaved his way out of the mosh-pit.

The man made his way over to a girl who looked to be about the same age as him, with brown hair and blonde highlights. She was drinking from a red solo cup, and her eyes widened when she looked up and saw them. "James..."

"I didn't kidnap her, Lee- I promise. I found her in the pit. She was gonna get trampled."

The girl nodded, and the ginger- called James, she now knew- crouched down so he was eye-level with her. "You alright, kid?"

She nodded, but there were still tears in her eyes.

"What were you doing in there, anyways?"

"I.. I was looking for my brother." she said quietly, sniffing.

The girl nodded to her. Just then, someone who was crowd-surfing to their right nearly fell on them.

"Let's get out of the crowd." the girl said simply, and Scarlet allowed herself to be led away from the insane crowd, towards the more-quiet space near the concession stand.

"Do you know his cell number, sweetie?" the girl asked, pulling out her phone.

Scarlet nodded, punching in Roy's number and waiting as it rang.

"Hello!?" Roy yelled over the crowd. He didn't care if it was Ollie calling- in fact, he was hoping he'd get caught, willing to take any consequences as long as somebody would help him find his siblings before someone with bad intentions did.

"Roy..."

"Scarlet! Where are you!?"

"By the concession stand..." she sounded dangerously close to tears. Hell, he was dangerously close to crying, as well. He just hoped Dick and Wally were alright.

"I'll be there in two seconds, kid, I promise."

The minute he saw her, she was running at him. She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, so glad to see someone familiar.

"Scarlet..." he rasped out, so relieved she was alright.

He looked up to find the older ginger man watching them with an arm around his girlfriend, smiling slightly.

"Thank you SO much..."

"No problem." and the two walked away into the crowd, just happy they'd done something.

* * *

 

Wally had finished his bucket of fried chicken and started to chat with the man sitting next to him. He was amazed, oif not a little grossed out, as the man showed him how he took out his numerous piercings and replace them. But hey, he was a science kid, and he was learning.

That was why his eyes widened when the man pulled out something that looked like a mix between a beaker and a test tube attached to it, staring, wide-eyed.

"Never seen one before?" the man asked, smiling slightly. "It's called a bong."

"It looks like a beaker..."

"Yeah, I guess it does." the man pulled a baggie of leaves from his pocket, and caught Wally's stare.

"It's called cannabis, little dude..."

"Wally!" Roy had seen the shock of red hair and, seeing the man next to his brother about to light up a bong, he fairly dragged Wally from the seat.

"Roy! I was learning!" Wally protested.

"Yeah, well now we're leaving!" Roy said simply, dragging the ginger up the stairs. Two down, one to go. "Dick!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, shooting a scathing glare at the potheads who sniggered at what he was yelling.

It was then he spotted a familiar looking ebony-haired boy sitting at the bar a ways off.

Scarlet slung over one shoulder and having Wally by the upper arm, he slowly weaved through the crowd, finally making it and seeing, to his relief, it was, in fact, Dick sipping what looked to be a Sprite.

"Dick! We're leaving!" Roy fairly yelled.

"But we just got here!" Wally whined.

"Nope-leaving- NOW!" Roy ordered. He was almost hyperventilating, now, they were surrounded by people who could be potential drug dealers or murders... He didn't know WHAT he'd been thinking, taking everyone to a Metallica concert.

Just then there was a series of yelling, and an all out melee between police and concert goers erupted as a riot began.

Roy seized Scarlet, fairly shoving her into Dick's arms before seizing Dick by the upper arm and Wally by the hand and sprinting for the exit of the stadium.

He didn't stop to catch his breath until they were in the parking lot, bending over, hands on his knees, panting.

Scarlet was laughing. "That was cool! Can we come back soon!?" she asked, all her previous fears forgotten.

Roy straightened, taking Dick's hand and Wally's, while Scarlet held onto Dick's other hand. They started walking towards the zeta tubes, and Roy shook his head.

"Never again."


	58. Sugar High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy's bro-night is interrupted by his younger siblings.

"Emergency. You're watching the kids tonight." Oliver said.

Roy stared. "What? But Ollie- the guys are coming over, Halo 4 comes out tonight!"

"Just watch the kids." Oliver said, heading for the zeta tubes. It was five minutes later when Scarlet, Dick and Wally turned up, Wally with a note pinned to his shirt.

"What's with the note?" Roy asked.

Wally shrugged. "Uncle Barry said it was for you."

Roy sighed. "Fine... Get in here."

He unpinned the note from Wally, reading it, as the kids looked around, grinning.

_Hi Roy,_

_He's had dinner but he'll probably need snacks. NO SUGAR, NO RED DYE, and his parents are out on a date. DO NOT CALL THEM! Have a good time! :)_

_Love,_

_Uncle Flash_

Roy scoffed. "Nice. A smilie face. Gee, that really makes up for EVERYTHING, Flash."

He sighed. Maybe he could still have a good time tonight...

He looked up to realize the kids were gone, and heard echoing laughter, realizing they'd ran into the huge manor.

"Guys? Where are you?"

He heard a crash and the sound of glass breaking and his heart rate picked up. He ran towards the sound, terrified...

"Oops..." Wally was looking down a the remains of a broken vase. "I'm sorry, Roy..."

Roy looked around, relaxing. No one was hurt, cut, or bleeding.

"It's alright, Wally, at least no one got hurt..."

Dick nodded, pointing at the winding staircase. "Can we banister slide?"

Roy stared. "Don't kill yourselves..."

"That means yes!" Dick grabbed Wally's hand, dragging his friend towards the staircase, and Roy stared. "Where's Scarlet?"

"Hey Roy- who's the kid?"

"Lucas? Billy? How'd you guys get in here?" Roy asked, shocked to see the friends who were going to come over and play Halo already inside.

"Oh- tiny butler opened the door when we knocked." Bill said, and Roy looked over to see Scarlet trotting into the room.

"Scarlet? You let them in?"

"Yeah. They looked friendly." Scarlet said, and Roy gaped. "Haven't you heard of stranger danger!?"

Just then Dick and Wally came flying down the banister of the stairs, all of them ending up on top of Roy.

Lucas stared, eyes wide. "Dude! Where are all these kids coming from!?"

"Roy kidnapped us." Scarlet said brightly.

"Wally get OFF me!" Roy said, getting to his feet, brushing himself off. He gave Scarlet a look. "And I did NOT kidnap you, Bruce had to go take care of some..l business, and dropped you off here."

"So- you're stuck babysitting?" Billy asked.

"No! He'd stuck with US!" Wally said, looking indignant and crossing his arms. Both boys exchanged glances, and Lucas brushed his floppy brown bangs from his eyes.

"So- we playin' Halo or what?" Lucas asked.

"Halo? Sweet! I wanna play!" Dick said, looking excited. Roy cast a remorseful look at his siblings. He wouldn't mind playing with them, truthfully, but he couldn't let Lucas and Billy know that. Besides, he'd had the plans before, it wasn't fair to just blow them off...

"Of course we're playing!" Roy said. "Look- guys. Have fun, don't eat anything that isn't food, no sugar, no red dye, and don't kill anything. Now dudes, come on." and the boys headed off towards the living room.

They all settled on the leather sofa in front of the plasma screen, Roy turning on the Xbox and handing out controllers.

"This is gonna be AWESOME!" Billy said.

"And I brought snacks." Lucas said, pulling out a ten pound bag Swedish fish, two packs of double stuf Oreos, a six pack of monster, and a tons of other things from his overnight bag, and Roy gaped.

"Dude! With this stuff, we can stay up all night!" Billy said, ecstatic.

Roy nodded. But it just reminded her of his siblings. "Whatever you guys do, don't let the kids have any of this, alright? They're not good with-"

Roy was shushed by his friends as the theme started playing, the monks chanting, and the menu popped up.

"Firefight! I say we use the first map..." Lucas said. Things went relatively uninterrupted for the first ten minutes. Then Dick popped his head in.

"Hey Roy, can we watch a movie?"

"Sure. Just don't kill each other." Roy said, busy shooting the crap out of an Elite.

"Dude, they have sticky grenades!" Billy yelled. There was a small crisis then as Lucas dropped the can of monster he'd been sipping to use both hands to evade them, but everything resumed as normal, aside from the green stain in the carpet.

Twenty minutes in, they heard screaming.

Billy and Lucas looked at Roy, wondering what to do. They really didn't want to pause, the darkened room, glowing TV screen, and eerie music were perfect for the game.

"I'm sure they're fine..." Roy said hesitantly. A moment later a screaming Wally raced in front of the TV and into the next room, holding a bag of flaming popcorn.

Billy and Lucas shot nervous glances at Roy.

Just then Scarlet charged past them, after Wally, dragging a fire extinguisher behind her.

Dick was yelling something about smoke alarms, and Roy hit pause and spoke then. "Will you excuse me for a minute?"

Lucas and Billy both nodded, looking pale and afraid, and Roy rounded the corner to see Wally barrel towards him with a bag of flaming popcorn...

They collided, the popcorn landed on the ground, and Scarlet ran over, spraying it with the fire extinguisher.

"You get it?" Dick asked.

Scarlet nodded, and Dick sighed. Wally, from where he was tangled up with Roy, looked disappointed. "What're we gonna eat now?"

Roy sighed. "Tell you what- clean this up, and I'll make some more popcorn."

Dick hurried to obey, and Roy sighed, heading into the kitchen, putting another bag of popcorn in. He handed it to them. "Now don't ignite anything else. And don't watch the Lion King." he said, remembering the scene where Mufasa fell to his death.

"Thanks Roy!"

And the plodded out of the room, a lot quieter than when they'd come in.

Billy stared. "Dude. How were you so CALM? That shit was on fire!"

Roy shrugged. "A lot of shit starts on fire when they come over. Anyways, come on, almost beat your kill streak." and just like that, they were back to normal.

"So- what are we watching?" Sparrow asked, as they settled down with the popcorn.

"The Excorcist." Dick said. "It was on demand, so I figured we might as well..."

They stared at the TV, enraptured, for the next hour and a half, watching the scenes and trying to keep what was left of sanity together.

By the time it was over, the were all staring at one another, shocked.

"That...was creepy." Dick admitted. Scarlet nodded, looking like she didn't really want to do anything but turn on the lights. "Wanna go bug Roy?"

"Sure." Wally said, because the all felt safer when Roy was around.

They'd been gaming hard-core for two hours when Roy paused, standing. "I have to go to the bathroom- you guys can snack break or whatever. Maybe order pizza."

Lucas and Billy nodded, and he headed off down the hall...

Scarlet trotted into the room. "You seen Roy?"

"Yeah, he's in the bathroom. Oreo?" Billy asked.

"Thanks." Scarlet took it, popping it into her mouth... Double stuf. She smiled slightly. It'd been so long since she'd felt sugar course through her veins...

"Help yourselves, dudes." Lucas said, opening the bag of Swedish fish. Wally smiled, grabbing a handful, and Dick helped himself to a can of monster.

Roy came out of the bathroom to hear screaming. His FRIENDS screaming to be exact, along with crazed laughter.

He entered the room to see Billy was duct taped to a chair, Scarlet sitting on the floor laughing, and Wally chasing Lucas with a broom. He also noticed Scarlet clutching the bag of Swedish fish and sighed, It was going to be a LONG night.


	59. Servproi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy finds out how his friends have messed up.

"You gave them sugar, didn't you?" Roy asked.

Just then Dick ran in, spraying Pam cooking spray like it was air freshener or something.

"Dick! Dick, chill!" Lucas yelled. Dick turned slowly. He was twitching, smiling, pupils dilated, and he let ot a Robin-like cackle before taking off across the area rug, down the hall, onto the hardwood floor.

"Dick!"

Dick had no idea where all the corridors leading around the manor led to. He'd been here before but his sugar-inebriated brain had forgotten everything. He should've known he'd turn onto a dead end, and when he saw Lucas and Ry running towards him,he did what any sensible person WOULD do. He sprayed the floor in front f them with cooking spray. And they went FLYING, stocking feet treating the Pam like an ice rink, leaving him time to brush past them and take off.

Billy was still duct-taped into a recliner. He looked around, realizing he was alone the room with Scarlet.

She dragged a lamp over, moving the head so it shown in his eyes, blinding him. "Kid, let's be reasonable here..." he said. He couldn't be sure, but through his squinting he could see her pacing in front of him.

Finally, she turned. He could only make out her silhouette. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Where's what?" Billy asked, shocked.

"Where. Is. It." Scarlet repeated. She'd always wanted to do her own interrogation, this was perfect...

"Where's what?" Billy asked.

Scarlet resumed pacing, shooting him bat-glares now and then. Just when she'd walked past him, she whirled, slamming her hands down on the arms if the chair beside his own, getting in his face.

"WHERE IS IT!?"

"Ahh! I don't know what you're talking about!" Billy said, terrified. Scarlet smiled. This was going to be fun.

* * *

 

Wally was having fun with cleaning products. Uncle Barry was a scientist, he would be proud...

And Clorox was good for you. That was what Aunt Iris always said, she always wiped everything down with Clorox. So bleach should be even better. And all these other cleaners, and soap, and cologne, as well... Heck, Shampoo would help, too. He sniffed, wondering what it would smell like, and nearly blacked out.

Smelled like drugs. His vision began to fuzz out, and he headed towards the kitchen, grabbing a lighter and headed back to his beautiful concoction. He lit the flame, touching it to the surface of the liquid...

There was a small explosion that sent him reeling, and he fell into the bath tub, smiling, as a yellowish cloud of smoke enveloped everything. The experiment was successful.

* * *

 

"Dick, where ARE you!?" Roy yelled, frustrated.

"Maybe we should give up- the kid's vanished." Lucas said. Just then, Roy looked up. Dick was hanging from the chandelier by his legs, which were curled over the golden painted, cast-iron, two-hundred year old light fixture. Roy gaped. This as going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

 

"Where is it?" Scarlet hissed.

"I don't know!" Billy said for about the fifth time. "Look- the interrogation thing is cliche! And dumb! So why don't would just let me go..."

Scarlet scowled at him, grabbing an eyedropper and a blindfold and placing one drop on Billy's head. Let the Chinese Water Torture begin.

Wally stumbled out of the bathroom, grinning. As soon as he saw what was going on, he grinned even more.

"I get to be the good cop!" he yelled. "Here- have some candy!" he shoved a handful of M&M's into Billy's mouth, and Billy flinched as Scarlet dropped another droplet of water onto his head. After five minutes, though, Wally had grown bored.

"Scarlet. Chinese Water Torture is BORING." he whined.

Scarlet sighed. "Fine. Where is it!?" she hissed.

"I don't know! I don't know what you're talking about!" Billy said, exasperated. "What is wrong with you!?"

Waly stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "He's getting rowdy, Scarlet. Let me take it from here. Where is it!?"

"I don't know!"

"Where is it!?" Scarlet demanded. And so it went for the next five minutes.

Finally, Wally took Scarlet aside. "He doesn't seem to know. What were you interrogating him about, anyways?"

Scarlet shrugged. "Nothing. I was just bored. And he's boring, so I'm bored again..."

"So come on- we'll get unbored!" Wally said, dragging her int the kitchen and grabbing a cookie sheet. This would be fun.

* * *

 

"Dick, come down! Please?" Roy asked. Dick shook his head. "Nope. I like it up here."

Just then there was a giant clattering as Scarlet slid down the stairs, clinging to a cookie sheet, and Roy gaped. She flew into the wall at the bottom, lying still in a heap. Roy ran over, and Lucas stared. There was a huge dent in the wall, but Scarlet jumped to her feet, grinning. "Wally! Let's do it again!" she called up the staircase.

"No way! There is no way I'm letting you do that again!" Roy yelled, but he was distracted when the chandelier suddenly fell out of the ceiling with Dick on it. After thee hours, they had all the kids under control asleep, duct taped, and the three teens exchanged glances.

"How are we gonna clean this up?" Billy asked nervously.

"I have an idea, actually." Roy said calmly. "Servpro- like it never even happened."

He placed the call, and the two cleaners, a middle-aged grumpy man and woman, dressed in awkward Servpro jumpsuits came over.

"Your place got vandalized?" he asked.

Roy nodded, since, hey, that was basically what it was.

"Looks like you just had a wild party." the cleaner said looking around, disgusted. "I mean, who vandalizes the place and leaves a pack of Oreos?"

"We left them out before they came over." Roy said.

"If your place really WAS vandalized, why didn't you call the police?" the man asked.

Roy shrugged. "We don't want to press charges. To busy for a law suit."

"Yeah, right. Either you calk the cops or we don't clean the place." the man said, giving him a look.

"Man, you clean up people were a lot friendlier in the commercial." Lucas muttered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" the man's face reddened, the veins in his neck bulged, and he was all up in Roy's face.

"I didn't say it! He did!" Roy said, pointing to Lucas. Instantly, the man was in Lucas's face.

"WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, SON! I DON'T CARRY THIS HEAVY CLEANING MACHINERY FOR NOTHING!"

"Eugene!" the woman grabbed his arm. "Did you take your medicine this morning?"

"Of course I did, Violet!" he yelled.

"Well go take some more and leave these poor boys alone!" she said, turning to Roy. "Pardon him. He's crazy."

"I simply have a chemical imbalance!" Eugene yelled, cleaning his glasses. Roy and the others quickly retreated to the bedroom where the gagged children were. Still, five minutes later, they heard things breaking.

"I can't do it, Violet, I can't clean!" he yelled, overturning the coffee tale and shattering a lamp.

"Eugene! Eugene, take some more medicine, honey!" Violet yelled. But Eugene the cleaner was on a rampage, throwing appliances and destroying things. Ten minutes later, Eugene was in a cop car, and Roy stared.

Oliver was home. "Guys- scram. I can totally get out of this." Roy said, and his friends obeyed.

Oliver rushed over. "Roy! What the heck happened!?"

"This crazy guy got in somehow..." he started. It wasn't really lying. Eugene had been let in the house, that was somehow.

"So anyways, he went on a rampage and I... uh... we... hid and called the cops. He trashed the place, though."

"Was anyone hurt?" Oliver asked, and he sighed, relieved, when Roy shook his head.

Bruce pulled up then, along with Barry.

"Queen..." Bruce said dangerously, and Oliver put his hands up.

"Some phsyco got in the house so Roy called the cops. Right, Roy?"

Roy nodded. "Right."

"Is everyone okay?" Barry asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, everyone's fine. They actually slept through it..." Roy tried not to pale. If they saw the three kids, all with wrists and ankles duct taped together, they'd ask questions.

"In fact... I should go check on them!" he raced upstairs, looking around, frantic. The were all asleep on Oliver's king sized bed, but he needed to hide the duct tape. He seized a blanket and pulled it over them, tucking it in, making it look nice, just as Bruce, Barry, and Oliver came up.

"Aww... they look so cute!" Barry said, smiling, before snapping a picture.

"Right. We'll be going, then..." Bruce reached for Scarlet, and Roy practically threw himself on top of her.

"No! Not yet!" he couldn't let them see the kids all bound with duct tape.

All three men looked at him, slightly surprised.

"I... I need a minute. To say goodbye. In private." Roy made sure to sniff for dramatic effect.

"Ookkaayy then..." Barry said, looking awkward and backing out of the room. Bruce and Oliver followed, both looking confused, but a moment later he was alone with them. He tore off the blanket, flipping out his pocket knife and frantically cutting the duct tape bonds on Scarlet, he was halfway done with Wally a moment later...

"You okay in there, Roy?" Oliver asked through the door, sounding concerned. Roy was hardly ever emotional, let alone clingy, and either hormones were ravaging his boy or something was wrong.

"I'm not finished saying goodbye yet, Ollie!" Roy said, cutting the bonds on Wally's legs, moving onto Dick. He could've sworn he heard Bruce's deep voice through the door quietly mentioning something about getting him into therapy to Oliver through the door, but he didn't care, cutting the tape beside Dick's wrists, and then ankles...

He balled up all the duct tape, shoving it under the bed, waking al, the kids up. "Come on!" he hissed. "Let's move! Your family is here..."

"Oh? Really?" Scarlet yawned and stretched, as Dick Dick, and they all stumbled out into the hall.

"Hi Tati." Scarlet was interrupted by a huge yawn, and Bruce picked her up, letting the seven year old nestle into him, laying her head on his shoulder, in the crook of his neck.

"Bye Roy." Wally said, hugging his surrogate brother.

"Yeah, bye." Dick did the same.

Scarlet, who was already half asleep and far too tired to get down, just waved half-heartedly at him from where Bruce held her, and Roy felt a sense of pride go through him. He'd done it- he'd pulled it ff. No trouble for him- in fact, the adults thought he was responsible, handling the situation. And no one knew his siblings had done about half the damage to the house.

He headed off to bed, content with the knowledge that he'd done it all. Still, as he crawled into his mercifully soft, warm bed, he knew he had one man to thank. A chemically imbalanced cleaner named Eugene.

 


	60. Two-Face

"No buts, Sparrow. You STAY HERE." Batman ordered. Sparrow stared at him long and hard, arms crossed.

"How come Robin gets to go?"

"Because Robin is older than you and he's dealt with Two-Face before." Batman said simply.

"How will I get experience dealing with him when you never LET me out to face him?" Sparrow demanded.

"Sparrow- you have your orders. Change out of costume and head up to your room. Alfred will bring you dinner." Batman said. She pouted.

"Scarlet, now." Batman said, narrowing his eyes beneath the cowl. She whirled, cape snapping behind her as she headed behind the folding screen to change. Alfred was upstairs, preparing dinner for when they were supposed to get back. It undoubtedly early in the morning... Meaning she wouldn't be missed.

She peered out from behind the screen as soon as the sound of the Batmobile faded in the distance. Now was the perfect time...

She headed towards the zeta tubes, punching in the coordinates... A moment later she was stepping out of the phone booth in the alley of Gotham.

She stepped out, brushing herself off. She COULD take down Two-Face, even if Batman thought she was too young.

She headed towards the main territory she knew Two-Face liked- she'd take him down tonight.

* * *

 

"Robin!" Batman yelled his charge's name. He could hear grunts of pain as his son was bludgeoned down by something heavy, could hear the moaning of pain, but a dozen men held him at bay...

"Robin!"

Robin cried out in reply, a pain-filled moan. He could still hear his son's cries as he was struck, he fought with the fury of a demon, but by the time the men were unconscious, Two-Face was gone- and so was Robin.

He restrained the thugs, calling commissioner Gordon and informing them of their whereabouts as he tried desperately to track the trail of blood. He was going to get his son.

Sparrow stood on top of the Pearson Shipyard and Co. building, staring down at the harbor. Of all the stories Batman had told her about past encounters with the man, he'd always chosen this part of town...

She looked down to see someone dragging something, something wet, by the looks of the droplets of water it was leaving every few feet, In the glittering moonlight and peered down at the figure. It was probably just a sack of fish, but the fishermen were all off duty... And the sack wasn't leaving behind water. It was blood.

The man who was dragging it wore a peculiar suit, half black, half white...

It was him. And she realized with growing dread that whatever was in that sack WASN'T fish.

She stared, slightly shocked, a small gasp escaping her lips. He'd turned his head slightly, she could see his face in the moonlight...

It was horrible. Burned, charred, raw red flesh and exposed muscle showing a cruel smile. He was like a monster, a horrible, murdering monster, and he looked scarier than the Joker.

He was almost down the harbor, now. She didn't have a grappling gun, she'd have to climb down... She sighed, frustrated with herself, for freezing up. Still, she could still catch him, but she was afraid to do it head-on, now, now that she'd seen his face.

She jumped onto the next rooftop, the shining moon her beacon, sprinting, running to the next, and the next, parallel to Two-Face's path.

When she pulled up even to him, she stumbled. He looked up, and she hit the deck, flattening herself out on the roof. He didn't see her, and he moved on, still dragging the sack behind him...

He pulled up beside the loading docks, which were, for once, closed. He dumped out the contents of the sack onto the ground as she scrambled down a fire escape and waited in the shadows, hearing a moan...

"Robin..." she breathed, horrified.

Just then some men emerged from the opposite end of the crates. The crates were arranged in an L-shaped fashion, Two-face and the men he was meeting, were near the end of the bottom of the L, but if she snuck around the outside, she could get to Robin, near the top, maybe rally him or drag him to safety...

"Robin- I'm coming." she whispered into her comm. Robin made no move to reply, and she felt her blood run cold. She darted into an alley, running past two buildings, emerging just past the men, under the crook of the L-shaped crates.

She trooped along quietly, in a crouch, slowly running towards her brother...

"Sparrow to Batman, I found Robin. He's hurt bad, by the loading docks..."

Batman, who'd been struggling to pick up his son's comm signal, stared, shocked.

"Sparrow..."

"He's hurt BAD. You need to come NOW." she said, on the edges of panic. She could see Robin's blood smeared underneath him on the docks, it glittered in the moonlight, the pale moon casting an almost unnatural light on his ashen skin.

"I'll be there asap. Do what you can. Is Two-face nearby?" Batman's voice crackled across the comm. Sparrow's head snapped up- Two-Face had heard something, was coming towards her. She dove behind some crates, tearing off her comm and throwing it into the harbor- she was so scared she wasn't thinking straight, and she was afraid the noise it made would alert Two-Face to her presence...

He was feet from her, and she winced when her comm made a small splashing noise as it hit the water.

Two-Face strode to the edge of the dock, peering into the dark, almost black waters, now, as though perplexed. He was literally five feet from her now, if he turned and saw her he would just as easily pull one of his two pistols and shoot her...

Lucky was with her, though. The awful, scared side of his face was towards her, and he was so focused on the water he didn't notice her. Still, he'd succeeded in scared her half to death...

He still stared at the water.

"What is, it, boss?" one of the muggs called across the dock.

"Nothing. Just a damn fish." he said, and strode back towards the group. Sparrow let out a breath. He looked like a monster to her, a monster-man, he used guns, and he'd done all that to Robin...

"Yeah. Figured we'd drown him, it's not like he can swim, I made sure of that..."

Two-Face's words drifted over to her on a sea breeze, and she stared, heart starting to hammering in her chest. If he threw Robin into the Harbor, they was no way she'd be able to pull him out, he was bigger than she was, and the water was freezing this time of year...

She crept quietly towards her brother, shaking him lightly.

"Robin. Robin, please, you have to get up." she whispered, trying not to panic. What of Batman didn't get here in time, what if Robin died, what if...

"Hey! It's the other brat!" one of the thugs yelled.

What if THAT happened?

She stood, bolting away from Robin as bullets started to rain down around her, vaulting onto one crate, jumping onto the major stack of them, diving into a gap just small enough for her between two crates.

Slowly, the bullets stopped raining down. Two-Face spoke. "She's a witness. She's still here somewhere, FIND HER- after all, TWO murders are better than one."

She shuddered. She could hear footsteps all around her, pulled the black part of her cape over top of her, praying it would hide her.

They were moving crates now, shuffling them, and the gap above her was suddenly half its normal size. There was no way she could slip out. Still, she had bigger problems.

"Forget searching- dump those barrels of oil into the water and onto the docks. We'll just torch the place- it'll be easier- and there won't be any bodies. Can't dive in and swim through fire."

She heard the sound of liquid hitting the planks of the dock, swallowing. Where was Batman? What if... No. She wouldn't think like that. And then there was the WOOSH as the flames ignited, laughter fading into the night...

* * *

 

"Sparrow! Sparrow, respond! Sparrow!" Batman slammed his fist down on the dashboard, frustrated. He'd heard someone yell in the background, if Two-Face had BOTH his children...

He remembered the last time Robin had been captured by Two-Face. The man was BRUTAL. If he laid a hand on either of his children...

"This is squad car 249 reporting- large fire on Gotham loading docks. Severe, appears some kind of accelerant was used on the flames..." the report crackled across the radio and he felt his heart sink.

Two-Face wouldn't... But he was a good killer, cold, calculated,and he often burned the bodies...

Two minutes. He'd be there in two minutes. He just prayed his children wouldn't be beyond saving.

* * *

 

"Robin!"

She could imagine Robin, lying prone on the docks, being caught in the inferno, unable to escape... Still, the gap above her was too small to crawl through. Unless...

"Please tell me I played football for a reason." she prayed as she braced herself on the ground, throwing herself at the crate above her... Her shoulder met the underside of the wood, the crate moved a good inch, and she took another breath. It'd hurt, but the crate had moved, she could do it. She threw herself at the crate again, and again, and finally it moved enough. She braced her arms on each crate across from her, jumping up and climbing , back against the wall, before dragging herself on top of the crates to find herself facing a blazing inferno that was slowly consuming the docks.

The surface of the water was on fire, as well, there was no way to dive and swim under it with Robin hurt like he was.

"Robin!" she screamed hoarsely. The smoke was making everything hazy, but she could've sworn she saw his shape, where the rising flames were creeping towards him...

She sprinted over, falling to her knees beside him.

"Robin! Robin, please!" she yelled, frantic, now. Smoke was clouding her senses.

"Sparrow... not gonna... go..." he choked out.

"No." she said simply, refusing to leave him, searching his utility belt desperately. She found his grappling gun- Batman considered her too young to have one, and she supposed he was right. But if she could shoot it into the warehouse over there, it might propel them above the flames...

She found the trigger of it and aimed, feeling it recoil as it shot out and glass shatter. She'd shot through the window. She hit the retract button, frustrated, taking aim again, the point sinking into the concrete side of the building. She pulled the line, testing it. It seemed firm, but then again, she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face.

"Robin!" she yelled hoarsely. She pulled her brother to his feet, he sagged, leaning, arm around her shoulder, almost draped over her.

She pulled the retract button, the line started re-winding, and she felt the flames warm the bottom of her feet as they glided over it...

As soon as they were clear from the fire, she let go, hitting the blessed,y cool, unfirey docks on the other side. They'd done it.

Sirens screamed in the distance, red and blue flashes showed on her face as police cars and firetrucks showed up, and...

"Give him to me." Batman ordered. Sparrow realized, horrified, she'd been too busy watching the Gotham fire department at work that she'd completely forgotten about Robin.

"Robin? Can you hear me?" Batman demanded, tapping his partner's cheek. Robin moaned.

"How bad is it?" Batman asked, praying it wasn't that serious.

Sparrow really wanted to be beside her brother, but her curiosity and seven-year-old mind couldn't help it. She was staring at the fire trucks.

"Ribs..." Robin moaned. Batman nodded. "We'll be back at the cave soon, I promise." he moved quickly but gently, setting the boy in the back of the Batmobile.

"Batman- what happened here?" Commissioner Gordon asked, approaching. He looked over, shocked, to see Sparrow watching the fire trucks with the enchantment of a child. Her costume was ripped in several places, her cheek was scratched, and she was covered in soot and ash...

"Two-Face." Batman said simply. "We'll talk later- Robin's hurt."

The commissioner's face was instantly concerned. "Is it serious?"

"Serious enough. Sparrow- come on." Batman ordered.

Batman grabbed her arm, dragging her towards the Batmobile. She realized this and hurried to keep paced with him.

"We WILL talk about this later."


	61. Choices

The drive home was silent except for Robin's occasional moans of pain. Sparrow sat in the front seat, since Robin was so injured, and Robin laid in the back, trying the best he could to fight back the pain.

Batman had already called Dr. Leslie, she'd be waiting in the Batcave. He cast a worried glance over his shoulder at Dick as the boy made a pitiful noise.

Sparrow was staring straight ahead, not looking fazed, but not looking at anything in general, either... she was zoning out. He realized with brief concern she might be in shock.

And he was angry. So incredibly angry about what'd happened out there that night, that maybe he could've prevented this entire incident, stopped Dick from being in so much pain, maybe Sparrow wouldn't have had to risk herself out there if he'd just been better, moved faster, fought harder...

He bit his tongue. He knew better than to speak to anyone, let alone his own children, while his anger was still fresh.

Besides, Sparrow probably wouldn't hear him, anyways. She had that far off look in her eyes.

Dick made another noise when they turned, the motion jarred him, and Batman glanced a him. "Almost there, Dick, I promise..."

Dick bit his lip and nodded, eyes still screwed shut in pain. A few minutes later they were in the Batcave, Batman was carrying Robin into the medbay, and Alfred and Dr. Leslie were already waiting. She sighed, tracing her fingers over the hood of the batmobile before finding her seat on the rotating chair before the computer, wrapping herself in her cape and wondering. She really hoped Dick would be alright, planned on staying awake until Batman and and Alfred came out to tell her how er was doing, but being little and exhausted finally won out over willpower.

"You're sure he'll be alright?" Bruce asked Dr. Leslie nervously.

She nodded. "I set his ribs, Bruce, he'll be fine- just in some pain for a few days, but it's nothing aspirin and Tylenol can't handle. And I stitched the cuts- they must've clubbed him down on a pile of twisted metal."

Bruce, since he did have the cowl down, now, nodded. "Yes, we were at a construction site..."

"Whoever it was, did you get them?" Leslie asked, raising an eyebrow. She really hoped Robin's sacrifice had been worth it. The boy would be out of training for a week or two, he'd need lots of rest...

"We caught a good portion of he gang. They'll talk, and that's enough..."

Leslie nodded, packing up. "Any other injuries you need me to tend, Bruce?"

"No. Thanks again, Leslie..."

"Not a problem, Bruce. I'd recommend you get some rest yourself- you look exhausted."

Bruce gave her a wane smile and shrugged. "Crime never sleeps, now does it, Leslie?"

She rolled her eyes at the boy she knew like a grandson- he was just like his father had been- and somethings never changed.

She left them alone, and Bruce sighed, sitting down beside Dick's bed, taking the boy's hand. Leslie had said he'd come around in a few hours, but he still felt guilty...

Alfred cleared his throat.

"Alfred, I'm really not in the mood to receive another lecture..." Bruce said simply.

"Really? I suppose that's very well, Master Bruce, since you clearly promised a lecture to Scarlet."

Bruce sighed. "I'll speak to her about it tomorrow..."

"You best do it tonight, Master Bruce. I you don't, she'll think whatever it is she's done isn't very serious and brush it off."

Bruce sighed, standing. "I hate it when you're right." he muttered. He'd go out to see her in a few minutes...

"Shall I put on some coffee, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked. It was one in the morning, after all.

"Yes, Alfred, that would be nice." he clearly wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

She was burning, burning alive. The crate had fallen on top of her, pinning her to the ground...

"No! Batman! Batman, help!"

_She felt something grab her and gaped, shocked. It was an awful hand, a hand that slapped her across the face... She was staring at Two-Face, then, totally shocked, staring into his demented face._

Bruce ran in when he heard the screaming, stopping dead and simply staring.

"No! No! Lemme go, lemme go! ROBIN!"

She thrashed from where she'd been sleeping, and Bruce stared. "Scarlet. Scarlet, wake up." he shook her slightly and she started awake, gasping. Slowly, she caught her breath.

"You alright?" Batman asked, trying not to look too concerned.

She nodded, pulling her cape around her again and pulling her knees to her chest, waiting for him to start yelling.

She was slightly surprised when he didn't. Instead, he asked her one simple word. "Nightmare?"

She nodded, not wanting to admit it to him but doing so anyways.

"About Two-Face?"

She looked up, shocked he'd known. He nodded. "He's one of the worse ones. Now listen- you disobeyed orders. On any other night than this, I'd have you grounded for a MONTH for doing that. No patrol, no going places, just being here."

She nodded, looking at him.

"But due to what happened tonight... You've been punished enough. The next time this happens, though, their WILL be consequences. Understand?"

She nodded. "How's Dick?" she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"He'll be alright. Sore for awhile, no patrol for two weeks, but he'll live."

She nodded. She would've gotten to her feet now and headed back upstairs, but she was exhausted...

"I'm not finished talking about this yet." Bruce said, and she looked up at him, surprised.

"There's people out their worse than Two-Face. Not many, but even one is enough... After what you did tonight, what you went through- I wouldn't blame you if you decided to never don a cape again."

She studied him, blue eyes never faltering.

"And that's okay if you don't want to- we can adjust to that. Your costume will go into a showcase in the Batcave, you can just stay upstairs, go to school, join sports. I won't love you any less because of it. I'll still be your father."

She was still looking at him, face expressionless. Bruce realized what he was hoping for. He was hoping she'd say yes- hoping she'd put the costume away, hoping she'd be a normal kid, not face off with Gotham's worst on a nightly basis, not constantly be in danger. He already worried about her, she was so small, so young...

He realized she wasn't going to say anything and took a breath. He should've known, She'd never willingly give it up, he'd given her a chance, a chance to help people, to DO something that other kids only dreamed of. A change to make a difference. And there was no way she'd give that up.

She was a hero- she was hope. She and Dick Gotham's future generation of heroes, whether they knew it or not. But he knew that, regardless, these kids would die, if it came down to it, to save others. That devotion was what made him proud of his kids, though he'd be proud even if they were normal. And it was that same devotion to Justice, that same willingness to die, that made him terrified for their futures.

"Or you can stay. You can keep at it- but I promise you, there are more men out their like Two-Face. They're devoted to killing, to getting what THEY want accomplished, whether it's legal or not. You'll be risking your neck on a daily basis- but I promise you this. If you choose to stay, there will be a lot more nightmares. A lot more bruises. Maybe even death. What do you want to do? I'll love you regardless, Scarlet, I'm your father no matter WHO you are..."

He looked at her, and she cracked a weak, exhausted smile. "Bring it on."


	62. Wisdom Teeth

Roy moaned. His jaw was aching, the dull, pounding pain was killing him...

"Come on, Roy. Time to get up." Oliver strode in, throwing open the curtains. Roy moaned, rolling over, pulling the blankets over his head as sunlight, accursed sunlight, streamed into the room.

Oliver rolled his eyes. Typical teenager, he hated to get up.

"Come on, Roy- I know you're gonna hate this, but we have a photo shoot today for the Wall street Journal, about the new policies my company is embracing..."

Roy said nothing, simply snuggled deeper into the blankets.

Oliver sighed, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "You're not even listening, are you?"

He sighed. "Fine. You've brought this on yourself." and with that, he seized the blankets, ripping them from the bed, leaving his son clad in his red and black plaid boxers and a white t-shirt. Roy opened his eyes and shot his mentor an annoyed look, before curling up on himself and settling back down.

"Do you have to do this every morning!?" Oliver snapped, frustrated. Roy said nothing, eyes closing, and Oliver sighed, walking over to the stereo and slamming a CD into it, pressing play and cranking the volume.

_"You know you love me, I know you care, just shout whenever, and I'll be there..."_

Roy's eyes flew open then and he sprang to his feet, running over and trying desperately to find the off switch. Oliver grinned triumphantly- he knew that the Justin Bieber CD would be worth it.

He nodded to Roy. "Get dressed. We leave in half an hour."

As soon as he was gone, Roy grabbed some aspirin and popped them. The ache in his jaws numbed a bit, and he pulled on a dress shirt and dress pants- when he moved out, he was going to be that guy who never owned a suit and tie- THAT was how much he hated dressing up.

He headed downstairs, and Oliver looked at his ward, nodding his approval. "Get some breakfast."

Roy nodded- he was never much of a talker in the morning- and he grabbed a bowl of frosted flakes and milk, taking his first bite and nearly choking. The pain in his jaw was even worse than earlier, and he had to bite back a hiss of pain, simply pretending to eat. He had to get the photo shoot over with, then he'd be fine. He could come home and sleep it off.

Oliver noticed his son wasn't eating, but didn't say anything. His son would tell him if something was really wrong, and teenagers appetites were always fluctuating.

Roy got in the car, resting his cheek against the cool glass of the window, smiling. It numbed the pain in his jaw a little.

Oliver didn't really noticed Roy's odd behavior, since the boy had his ear buds in, and he assumed he was just on his ipod.

Once they got out, the real fun began. It'd been a two hour drive to the place where the photo shoot was supposed to happen, and Roy was feeling like doing anything BUT smiling at the moment.

But he shrugged on his suit coat anyways- it'd just be a few pictures, he tried to convince himself.

Of course, the photographers were COMPLETE IDIOTS and kept having him tilt his head this way and that, shots of him solo, Oliver solo, the two of them together... And the whole time his jaw was killing him.

Oliver noticed the boy's pain when he looked over to see Roy leaning against the wall, head tilted forward, forehead pressed against his lower arm.

"Roy? You okay, buddy?"

Roy said nothing, swallowing. He was dizzy and he didn't know why...

He tasted it in the back of the throat and turned, staggering into the bathroom and locking himself in the stalls, leaning in front of the toilet, breathing ragged.

The photographers exchanged bewildered looks, and Oliver smiled. "Excuse me for a moment."

He ducked inside, worried. He saw Roy had locked himself in the bathroom, heard his son's breathing...

"Roy?" You alright, buddy?" he asked, concerned.

Roy swallowed. The feeling of nausea had passed, thankfully, since he really hadn't wanted to puke his guts out here.

He slowly stood, breathing slowly, and unlocked he door, walking out a little unsteady.

"You alright?" Oliver asked, looking worriedly at the boy.

Roy nodded. "Just thought I was gonna puke for a minute or so..."

Oliver felt he boy's forehead. He was a little warm... He kicked himself for not noticing it sooner.

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick sooner? I wouldn't have made you come..."

Roy stumbled slightly as another wave of dizziness hit him, leaning against the wall. "I would've. Wasn't this bad in the morning, figured I could handle it."

"What was wrong this morning?" Oliver asked, cocking an eyebrow at the boy.

Roy shrugged, wincing. His whole head was pounding, now. "Just my jaw- guess it got worse..."

Oliver cocked his head. "Open your mouth for me."

"What? I'm fine, Ollie..." Roy said, trying to brush his father off.

"Yeah. That's why you almost threw up a minute ago. Now open."

Roy rolled his eyes and obeyed, and Oliver looked into his son's mouth, nodding. "Wisdom teeth. You got them earlier that I did- must be screwed up."

"What?" Roy asked, looking at him, concerned.

Roy placed a hand on he boy's shoulder. "Wisdom teeth are screwed up. Must've come in a bit ago, I'll make an appointment with the dentist..." Oliver pulled out his blackberry, setting everything up.

Roy sighed. "Do I have to go? I just wanna sleep..."

"The same thing happened to me with my wisdom teeth, Roy- trust me, you won' feel any better until they come out. Now come on- they have enough pictures, we can go..."

Roy nodded, not listening as Oliver parted ways and barely registering they were walking out, nearly falling on his face when they left via the revolving door. Damn wisdom teeth...

He chose to curl up in the back seat as Oliver drove, not really caring where they headed, just letting his eyes close in blessed SLEEP...

It was four hours later when the dentist nodded. "Definitely wisdom teeth. We can get them removed. The sooner the better. I can get you in tomorrow, how does that sound?"

Roy said nothing, and Oliver looked at he boy, concerned. "Sounds good. Come on, Roy." Roy said nothing, simply curling up on his bed as soon as they got home after popping some aspirin.

Oliver sighed- he hated to see the kid in so much pain. He remembered being laid up for a full week when he'd been sixteen because of his own wisdom teeth. Even now, he still remembered the dull throbbing...

That'd been back when his parents were alive, of course, when his mother's cool hand had stroked his brow and she'd pulled him into her lap, stroked his hair and given him all the Tylenol she could, while his father nervously checked in on him every few hours. His parents were dead, now...

He sighed, sitting down on the edge of Roy's bed and starting t rub the boy's back. Roy edged away. "Just lemme sleep, Ollie." he muttered.

Oliver nodded, feeling slightly hurt but understanding where the Roy was coming from. He ruffled the boy's hair, giving him a wane smile. "I'll come in to check on you later. You call if you need anything, alright, buddy?"

Roy nodded, still curled up in his ball.

"And remember- you'll feel better tomorrow when it's all over."

Oliver watched his son carefully as he guided him out of the dentist's office. Roy was half asleep on his feet, now, but he sucessfully guided the boy to the car. Thankfully he hadn't started talking or saying anything weird yet. Maybe he wouldn't say any of those weird things people on laughing gas normally did.

He watched as Roy curled up in the passenger seat of the Lamborghini, smiling. Maybe dealing with his son post-opp wouldn't be so bad...

Just then his communicator rang. Not his normal Bluetooth for work, but his REAL communicator. That could only mean one thing...

He groaned. Not today. Why'd it have to be today, of all days?

Still, he headed towards the photo booth, propping Roy up beside him ass the computer scanned him.

"Recognized- Green Arrow 08, Speed B06." the computer announced. Roy staggered and nearly fell- they were both in civilian clothes in the watch tower. Batman, Superman and Flash looked up. Batman gave Roy a look instantly noticing how out of it the boy looked. He looked to Oliver for an explanation.

"He just had his wisdom teeth out. He's still out of it." Oliver guided Roy to a chair. Roy fell out of said chair and instead decided to simply curl up on the floor.

"Roy- hey, Roy." Olivier tapped his son's cheek.

"Hmmm..." Roy simply rolled away, and Oliver sighed, hauling the boy over to the couch and setting him down. At fifteen, the boy was all 5' 5" and all muscle, but Oliver could still carry the boy if he needed to.

"You okay, Buddy?" Oliver asked, looking at his son, concerned.

"G'way, Ollie." Roy muttered, batting his anxious father's hand away. "Wanna sleep."

Oliver nodded, still throwing glances over his shoulder every now and then as he strode over towards the table. "What do you need me for?"

"There's a situation in the Middle East that needs our attention." Batman said simply, before turning back to study the holographic map.

"Listen- can't you guys handle it solo? Roy's really not in any shape to be left alone..."

Batman said nothing. He understood Oliver's predicament, if it were Scarlet or Dick who were sick, he'd want to stay behind as well, but duties as a hero and saving lives sometimes outweighed family time.

"I'm sorry, but we're it. Everyone else is either off-world or engaged. The more heroes present, the more confidence the countries will have." Superman said, looking apologetic.

"Is it really that important?" Oliver asked, really hoping they'd say no...

"Biyalia and Iraq are on the brink of war, We need you, Queen." Batman said simply. "Dick's responsible- leave him with instructions on whatever Roy needs and he'll take care of it. If all else fails, they'll call in Agent A."

Oliver hesitated. It wasn't like Roy needed much- the first twenty four hours after, all the kids had to do was get fresh gauze in his mouth and maybe some aspirin into him.

He nodded. "Fine." He scrawled a quick list of duties down, before running to change, Batman called the three sidekicks into the room.

"Roy!" Scarlet squealed, eager to see him. Batman moved and held her back from running to him.

"Not now. Roy just got some teeth taken out, he's still drugged."

"What?" Scarlet asked, looking over at him. "Why'd they rip his teeth out?"

"Were they wisdom teeth?" Wally asked. "I read about those- guess it hurts a lot."

Flash nodded. "Yeah, it was his wisdom teeth. Listen- we have to go..."

"Dick, I'm leaving you in charge. Get Roy whatever he asks for, make sure the gauze in his mouth is changed every hour, and make him as comfortable as you can, alright?"

The eleven year old nodded, pleased but not showing it. Batman had put him in charge, meaning HE was the most capable.

Oliver, now clad as Green Arrow, walked out, then.

"You already told them?" he asked, and Batman nodded.

"He'll probably sleep for most of it, anyways. Call me if something goes wrong, alright?" Oliver instructed the kids.

Dick nodded. "We got it, Uncle Ollie."

Oliver glanced over at Roy who was asleep on the couch, striding over. "Roy." he tapped the boy's cheek. His eyes, still glassy, fluttered open.

"Hey buddy. I have to go somewhere- Dick's gonna take care of you while I'm gone, alright?"

"What 'bout the teeth?" Roy asked, having a hard time forming words with the gauze in his mouth, looking confused.

"They're gone. Dentist took them out. I'll be back soon, I promise. Just hang in there for me, alright, Buddy?"

"Mmm-hmmm..." Roy muttered cocooning himself in the blankets again and nestling back down. Oliver sighed, looking at the boy. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned, but what other options did he have?

He turned and headed towards the zeta-tubes with Batman, Flash, and Superman beside him, but still, he couldn't help but look back just once...

"Well, if he stays asleep, this'll be pretty easy." Dick said brightly, watching his older brother sleep. Little did he know what was to come...


	63. Laughing Gas

"Alright. So we're supposed to just let him sleep..." Dick said calmly. The eleven year old was sure he could handle this, it was already ten minutes into being alone, and nothing bad had happened.

Just then, Roy started giggling. Not his normal, stifled chuckle, but a giggle. A squeaky, girly giggle.

They all exchanged glances.

"Um... Roy?" Dick asked, looking at his friend nervously. Roy's eyes fluttered open and widened as he stared at them.

"Who are you people!?" Roy demanded, looking from one face to the next, shocked. "And- why are you in tights? Are you cross dressers? Oh my gosh, you're drag queens!" he said, obviously still hopped up on the drugs.

Dick face-palmed and Scarlet giggled. Dick pulled off his mask, as did Scarlet, and Wally put down his cowl, revealing their faces.

Roy blinked. "Oh my gosh, Dick, you shoulda seen it. There were these drag queens like everywhere..." he slurred

"Somebody film this!" Wally yelled. Scarlet had already pulled out her phone and Roy looked around, confused.

"Where's the paper towel?"

"What paper towel?" Dick asked, looking confused.

"Th-the paper towel they put around my chest at the dentists. I LOVED that paper towel!" and he started to cry.

"Somebody get him a paper towel!" Dick hissed, and Wally sped off towards the janitor's closet.

"Susan- Susan, where are you!?" Roy yelled through his tears, gauze doing little to help them make sense of his speech.

"Susan?" Scarlet asked, looking confused.

"My wife..." Roy sobbed.

Just then Wally zipped back in with a paper towel in hand. Roy noticed it and his expression transformed into one of rage.

"Get you 'ands off of my wife!" he yelled, spit flying from his mouth. He'd failed at saying the word hands due to the gauze in his mouth. He hugged the paper towel close to himself, though, and looked up suddenly, confused.

"I... I'm leaking..." He said, feeling the tears run down his face and looking shocked. "I'M LEAKING! HOLY CRAP I'M LEAKING!"

Green Arrow walked between Batman and Flash towards where the middle eastern leader was leading them. Suddenly, Roy's voice crackled across his comm.

"LEAKING! I'm leaaaakkkkiiinnnggg! HOLY CRAP, MY EYEBALLS ARE LEAKING!"

* * *

 

Oliver quickly powered off his comm, slightly shocked and more than a little concerned. The middle eastern leader, as well as Batman, Flash, and Superman, stared at him. Thankfully, Batman stepped in.

"It's code. We have our apprentices constantly monitoring the areas around making sure no terrorists or unauthorized personnel enter."

The leader nodded, looking impressed, and Oliver looked over at Batman, impressed as well. 'Good save.' he mouthed, and Batman imperceptibly shrugged. He'd had to make more than a few saves with Dick and Scarlet when they said the wrong thing in the company of high society. Still, just to be safe, they all quietly flicked off their comms.

"Get that away from him!" Dick yelled, horrified, as Roy continued screaming into his comm.

"Give it to me, Roy!" Wally yelled, pulling it away and throwing it across the room.

Roy stared after it before starting to cry again. "I can't stop leaking!" He wiped his face on the paper towel, sighing, relieved. "I love you Susan." he said to the now snot-covered, wet paper towel. "You're always there for me..."

Wally was giggling, now, and Roy looked at him, angry. "Don't laugh at my wife!"

"Dude- it's a used paper towel." Wally said, smiling.

"She is NOT ugly!" Roy yelled. And with that, he launched himself at the speedster, knocking him to the ground and trying his best to attack. Luckily, he was still uncoordinated from the laughing gas, so all he could really do was flap his noddle-like arms around and try his hardest to slap Wally.

Dick finally managed to pull him off, and Scarlet held up the phone, giggling.

"What is wrong with you!?" Roy yelled as Dick and Wally both pushed him back onto the couch, where he sat on his paper-towel wife, who he seemed to have forgotten.

"Roy, just calm down." Dick said, really hoping he wouldn't have to restrain his older brother.

Roy just blinked. "What are those?" he asked, pointing out the large window of the watch tower.

"That? Oh, that's space." Wally said, dusting himself off.

"Space?" Roy asked, cocking his head.

"Um, yeah. As in, big, endless vacuum." Wally said. need for science getting the best of him.

"Vacuum? Once there was this lady... and she was a lady... and she accidentally ran over her foot with the vacuum, and the vacuum SUCKED HER TOES OFF!"

Scarlet was still laughing now, laughing so hard she was shaking and tears rolled down her face. "Beautiful..." she said, breaking down laughing and dropping her phone.

"Yeah, beautiful isn't it?" Roy said absently. Then, once again, he burst into tears.

"Dang it, I'm leaking again!" he said loudly, and shuddered, crying even harder.

Dock sighed, setting a box of tissues on Roy's lap.

Roy stared at them, looking confused before recognition dawned on his face.

"It's a a TIME CAPSULE!" he said, looking excited. He tore out all the tissues, smiling, throwing them everywhere.

He looked around, finding a lightbulb in a nearby lamp and spending the next ten minutes fumbling to unscrew it.

Finally he did, though, and he stuffed it into the tissue box.

"I gotta preserve history! The future people will know who I am!" he said, hurrying towards a fake plant. He ripped off a plastic leaf, dropping it in as well, and then stuffing the TV remote in for good measure...

"Dude. We need that." Wally said, looking slightly concerned.

"No! This... this... DEVICE! This device... must be preserved for future people..."

"Forget the future generation! We need to change the TV channels!" Wally said.

Roy looked annoyed before he slapped Wally across the face, heading towards the kitchen. Scarlet giggled as Roy grabbed the salt shaker, dumping a healthy portion of it into the tissue box.

He looked around, noticing the oven and frowning.

He pulled open the door- it wasn't preheated, so it wasn't hot, and he pulled out the racks, crawling inside.

"Um... Roy? What are you doing?" Dick asked.

Roy started to cry again. "They said you could hear the ocean! I can't hear the ocean!" he said, tears rolling down his face. He grabbed at his eyes, shocked. "What does all this leakage MEAN!?"

Wally took the opportunity to try and steal the remote from Roy's 'time capsule', but, creepily, Roy's head snapped up as soon as Wally had touched it. "PUT IT BACK!" he barked. Wally dropped it back in and Roy crawled out of the oven.

"Well? What are you guys doing!?" Roy demanded. "We have to go tell Dumbledore he's gay!"

"What?" Dick asked, shocked, and Scarlet started laughing.

"Dumbedore's gay? DUDE- I was reading Harry Potter!" Wally yelled, looking shocked and horrified. "You just RUINED MY CHILDHOOD!"

Scarlet was on the floor laughing, and Roy glared at her. "Don't laugh! Dwarfism is a serious condition!"

To which she laughed even more.

Dick looked at the time, slightly shocked.

"Dude- we were supposed to change the gauze in his mouth an hour ago!"

"Whoa. Hang on a second-" Wally raced of of the room, running back in with a bag of gauze.

"Here you go." he tossed the bag to Dick, who nodded.

"Holy crap! Clouds in a bag!" Roy said, staring at the gauze.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. Roy, put these in your mouth for me, after you spit out the old ones..."

"There's clouds... in my mouth?" Roy asked, struggling to comprehend it.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. And they're old. You need new clouds..."

"No. I like my current clouds just fine, thank you..."

"Roy..."

Roy sighed, opening his mouth. Dick looked disgusted, but he reached into Roy's mouth anyways, going to fish out the bloody gauze.

Until Roy's mouth clamped shut on his hand.

"WALLY, HELP! ROY! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Dick yelled, thrashing. Finally, Roy let go of his hand.

"Vivà old clouds!" Roy yelled, sprinting down the hall.

Needless to say, the leaguers zetaed back in to find Dick seated on the couch, reading the latest People Magazine, and Scarlet and Wally playing cards. Roy was duct-taped to the recliner in the corner with a pile of bloody gauze beside him.

"He said something in Spanish and started trying to break into the armory." Wally explained, and Oliver nodded dumbly.

"Oh- he wanted you to have this." Dick said, handing a bewildered looking Oliver the time capsule. "Was convinced we were going to kill him. Whatever that dentist shot him up with..."

Batman cleared his throat and Dick rolled his eyes. "I mean- medicated him with- it was pretty strong. We'll email you the video. It's pretty hilarious."

Oliver nodded, still looking uncertainly over at Roy.

"What happened to your hand?" Batman asked, noticing the blood on Dick's hand.

"Oh- that. He bit me." Dick said simply.

"You guys still managed to change his gauze?" Oliver asked.

They all nodded. "Wasn't that hard. Just had to keep spraying him with water whenever he tried to bite us. He came around a few times, seemed pretty normal, but we didn't want another... episode... to occur, so we left him taped up."

Batman nodded. "Good job, both of you..."

"They duct-taped him to a chair!" Oliver said, looking shocked as he started trying to cut his son free.

"You would've too." Scarlet said. "Just watch the video- we got the whole thing on tape."

Oliver took her phone from her, watching the video along with Superman and Flash...

"You guys managed to duct tape him when he was THAT pumped up about clouds and what not?" Flash asked, shocked.

Dick grinned. "Yep. Flash grenades. Don't leave home without 'em."


	64. Protective Roy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy is a pretty good big brother.

The days blended into weeks, and before Bruce knew it he was staring at the ballroom set up for the Spring Gala he normally hosted. He hated it, truth be told, but he was supposed to be a billionaire playboy. So he supposed he'd have to host it.

That night Bruce tied Dick's tie around his neck, wetting a comb and trying to tame the unruly raven hair. Finally, he nodded his approval to his son. "You're all set, Dick."

"Daddy!" Scarlet called, trotting down the hall. She was in two inch heels, Bruce was slightly surprised she could do that. She looked stunning in a turquoise dress that flowed, with a sparkly top and green beading all the way down to the waist.

"I need you to zip me." she said turning around, revealing the zipper in the back.

Bruce nodded, fumbling. These tiny zippers weren't made for his huge fingers.

Scarlet giggled slightly, and Dick cracked a smile. They, too, hated galas, but the best part was having Bruce fuss over their appearance and seeing the pride in his eyes when they were all dressed up.

Bruce struggled, and Dick stepped forward, brushing his father aside. "I got it." he said simply, easily zipping up the dress. His fingers were smaller and he'd had an easier time with it than Bruce had.

Scarlet turned. "How do I look, Daddy?" she asked, hopeful.

"Beautiful, like always. You look like a princess." Bruce said. Dick wrinkled his nose. Scarlet had never been the princess type...

"Really?" Scarlet asked, looking disappointed. "I KNEW it was too girly. I'll go find something better..."

"No. You look like a warrior princess, Scarlet." Bruce quickly amended, and her eyes lit up.

"Go get 'em, tiger." Bruce said, smiling, and the seven year old lifted her skirt slightly before sprinting downstairs, eager to make her father proud.

"You go ahead too, Dick." Bruce said simply, and Dick nodded, trotting down after her. He would've normally slid down the banister, but with his nice clothes on he didn't dare.

Bruce smiled slightly. Hopefully his kids wouldn't find the gala TOO boring and wouldn't do something MILDLY out of the ordinary, such as hang upside down from the large chandeliers in the ballroom.

He grinned- he wouldn't blame them if they did. That was how dry these galas were, the men snobbishly talking about their plans and cars and wives, and the women, even the married ones, practically throwing themselves at him.

Still, he had to keep up appearances, and he made his way downstairs, into the hotel ballroom, and found a hundred people who he really couldn't stand but who all thought he loved them saying hello and smiling.

He took a glass of champagne and sipped it easily- he was going to need a LOT more alcohol than this. It was going to be a long, annoying night.

* * *

 

Roy stood, back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, one leg bent and the ball of his foot pressed against the wall, surveying the crowd with distaste. He hated all these galas, but they had to keep up appearances...

Oliver seemed to enjoy them quite a bit, actually, but only because of the women that FLOCKED him. Roy smiled, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the girls that were on his arms- at least four- all at once. He'd have a fun time explaining THAT to Black Canary.

Still, he was bored, and looked around, annoyed, searching for Dick and Scarlet.

He'd known both bat-siblings for years, now, and it didn't surprise him when Scarlet appeared from nowhere. She sighed, leaning against the wall beside him, crossing her arms.

"Bored?" Roy asked.

She nodded. "Totally."

"Want to dance?" Roy asked. It was a spur of the moment thing, really, and Scarlet looked up at him, surprised.

"I-I don't know how to dance." She admitted.

"I'd let you stand on top of my feet. You aren't heavy, and besides- it beats standing here, doesn't it?" Roy asked.

She hesitated. "What if I don't like it?" she was watching the women in low-cut dresses parade across the floor, now, looking uncertain.

"Say the word and I'll walk you off the floor. I'm your older brother, for crying out loud. I wouldn't force you to dance with me if you didn't want to."

Slowly, Scarlet nodded. "Alright. But just one song."

Roy nodded and gently led her onto the floor. She looked around at the dancing couples, looking uncertain.

Roy gently place his hands beneath her own and smiled encouragingly, and when he stepped back she stepped forward, slowly settling into the song and only stumbling here and there.

"That's it." Roy said quietly, and she looked up, giving him a proud, gap-toothed grin.

The song ended a few minutes later and Roy gently lead her off the dance floor, back towards the wall.

"Did you like it?" he asked, holding her hand as they wove their way through the crowd.

She nodded eagerly. "It was fun." she said, smiling. "But I don't wanna dance with anybody but you."

Roy felt his heart melt for a minute as he looked at her- sweet seven year old face, gap-toothed grin, he was so lucky he had a sibling like her. They settled back against the wall, then- they were both in better spirits than before. Maybe galas weren't so bad...

It was then Roy saw him making his way through the crowd. Blake Preston. He narrowed his eyes, unconsciously moving closer to Scarlet, as though shielding her. He knew this boy, had seen the way he acted around girls. The way he kissed them, some of them five years younger than him, the way his hands moved along them while they danced like they were some piece of fine cloth he wanted to caress...

Blake was twelve, average height, blonde with freckles, and a general snob. Plus, he liked girls. Liked? No, that was the wrong word. More like he EXPERIMENTED with them, tried them out like some new toy, seeing what experience each one could provide...

Some of them were eight or nine, and Scarlet was seven... The closer Blake got to them, the more Roy knew what he wanted. And there was NO WAY he was going to let that happen.

Blake flashed a charming smile at Scarlet. "Hey Scarlet- You want to dance?"

Scarlet had unconsciously moved closer to Roy and she shook her head. "No thank you..." she said quietly, blue eyes still wide. She'd seen Roy tense up, there was something bad about this kid...

"Come on? Please?" Blake asked.

Scarlet simply shook her head, now leaning against Roy, who put an arm around her shoulders.

"Aww... why not?" Blake asked, looking hurt. So he was trying to guilt her into this, now...

"She said no, Blake. Get over it." Roy said, arms crossed. He was trying not to scowl at the boy. Still, Blake's charming expression changed to one of hate as he crossed his arms, looking up at Roy.

"I wasn't asking you, Harper."

"Well you got your answer. Now leave." Roy said firmly.

"Maybe I'd like to stay around for awhile until Scarlet changes her mind." Blake said, and both boys glared at one another for a moment.

"Fine. Scarlet and I were just leaving..."

Blake put out an arm to stop them. "Come on, Scarlet? What's Harper have that I don't got? He's a ginger- he's got nothing on me. I have EXPERIENCE..."

"Shut up." Roy growled.

"Aw? What's the matter? Is Roy-Boy jealous?" Blake asked in a whinny voice.

"No, Scarlet doesn't know what 'experience' is yet. And I don't want her getting any... disease... from you. Let's face it, you're a walking petri dish- mono, STD's... I'd be surprised if you haven't gotten any."

"Roy? What's an STD?" Scarlet whispered, looking confused.

"Stupid Tubby Dude. Now come on, Scarlet..." Roy ushered her around Blake, who's hands were now clenched into fists. He was slowly turning a dark shade of purple, but Roy didn't notice as he and Scarlet walked away...

"Harper- get back here you jackass!" he yelled, sprinting after him.

People stopped talking to stare, but Roy didn't turn. He could hear each footfall the snob's shined dress shoes made on the floor, hear each breath he took...

Roy whirled, sinking the heel of his dress shoe into the boy's ribs as he lunged at him. There was the satisfying rush of air that left the boys lungs as he hit the ground, gasping, the wind knocked out of him. Roy nodded to Scarlet. "You should probably move away now." He said quietly.

She nodded, ducking into the crowd.

People had gathered around Blake's gasping form, now, and Roy knelt before the boy, yanking the boy's torso off the ground by his shirt collar.

"Now let me make one thing clear, kid. You'll get a lot worse than this if you try and mess around with Scarlet Grayson again. You hear me?"

Blake, who was still gasping painfully, nodded, and Roy smirked. "Good." there was a thud as he freed his finger's from the boy's shirt fabric and he hit the ground, more painful gasping, but Roy simply moved through the crowd, glad he'd gotten his message across. NO ONE messed with Scarlet.


	65. Saving Wally: Part 1

"I TOLD YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!" Rudolph West yelled. Wally had been watching TV, and when his mother had asked him to take out the dog he'd been too enraptured to notice. Now his father had him pinned against the wall and was, like the others nights, screaming in his face.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I swear, I'm sorry!" Wally said, terrified. His mother looked away- she'd grown used to this by now, but that didn't make it any easier.

Rudolph slapped his son across the face, and Wally's head snapped to the side. His cheek stung, there was a red mark, and tears started to leak from his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're gonna cry." Rudolph said, slamming his son's back against the wall. "Now get down. Shirt off, you know the drill."

"No, Dad, please, no..." Wally choked out.

"I said! What I say goes, Wallace, unless you want it even worse! Down. Now. Shirt off."

Wally turned to his mother, eyes pleading, but she simply said nothing, eyes glued to the ground.

"Well?" His father grunted, letting go of his son and waiting for him to obey the order.

Wally stood, shaking, before turning to run. He was so scared even using his super speed didn't come to mind, and he instead trying to make it to the bathroom where he could lock the door behind him...

"Wallace!" his father thundered, angry. Wally struggled to shut the bathroom door as his father pushed against it, terrified. His feet lost their traction and the door flew into him, hitting his face...

Blood started to drip from his nose, and he cried as his father dragged him into the living room, forcing him onto his hands and knees and roughly ripping the boy's shirt off.

"P-p-please... d-don't!" Wally squeaked, desperate. But Rudolph said nothing, simply pulling off his belt and bringing it down on his son's bear back, HARD.

Wally sobbed as the belt was brought down on him again, and again, and again...

He begged his father to stop, sobbing, and his father finally dropped the belt to the ground, looking down, disgusted, at the sobbing boy. He took his wife's hand and left the room.

Wally gasped, feeling the pain of it all running through him. He staggered to his feet, pulling on his shirt painfully. He crawled over to the door, wincing. The wounds on his back hurt so bad, burning, but he managed to tie on his sketchers and slowly got to his feet, opening the door.

He wasn't going to stay here anymore. He was going to find one of the few people in his life who gave a damn.


	66. Saving Wally: Part 2

He was running, now, running as fast as he could. The marks on his back wouldn't heal very fast, not when he was upset like this. He finally made it to Star city, stepping into the zeta tubes. He was heading to the one place where he could get help.

"Uncle Barry!" Kid Flash's voice sounded outside the meeting room of the Watch Tower as he took shaky breaths, trying not to sob.

"Kid?" Flash asked, shocked. They'd been having an important meeting, but Wally's voice... his voice was shaking. Barry had never heard his nephew sound so desperate before, and he stared as the door slid open and Wally staggered into the room.

Black Canary gasped when she saw his bloody nose and lip.

"Wally!" Flash was instant on is feet, walking towards his nephew. He pulled him into a hug and was shocked when the boy let out a pained noise and pulled away.

"Wally?"

Wally had back into a corner and stood, lower lip trembling, trying hard not to cry.

"Wally- take off your shirt." Barry said, concerned.

Wally shook his head, embarrassed. He didn't want them to see...

"Wally, please?" Flash asked.

Wally obeyed quietly, running to his uncle and clinging to him them, breaking down sobbing. The marks on his back were still fresh, were turning purple, they'd be nasty bruises...

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Wally- Wally, who did this to you?" Wonder Woman asked, horrified.

"M-my Dad..." Wally got out, still sobbing.

No one noticed, but Batman had zoomed in on Wally's back and snapped a picture. He didn't want to. The last thing he wanted to do was this. But he'd seen child abuse before, the pictures of injuries would be useful in a court case...

"Rudolph." Barry's face turned into a scowl as he spat the name. "Wally- Wally, it's okay, buddy. I'm not gonna let him hurt you anymore."

Wally still clung to him, sobbing. "I don' wanna go home, Uncle Barry, don't make me go home..."

"I won't, Wally. I'll call Iris, you can stay with us as long as you want..."

The room settled into a shocked silence, and Superman spoke. "Wally- why did he do it?"

The man of steel had had a belt taken to him a few times as a child as well, but not like this. This... this was cruel. When he'd gotten the belt, it'd always been on his behind, and never left marks. And his father had always talked to him after, told him he still loved him...

"I... Mom asked me to take the dog out... And I forgot..." Wally sobbed, burying his face in Flash's shoulder.

"And he... he did THAT to you!?" Flash asked, shocked.

Wally said nothing, just continued to sob.

"That bastard!" Barry erupted. "He'll rot in jail for this..."

"No! Please, no! He's my DAD!" Wally said, looking up at him, green eyes desperate. "Just don't let him hit me again!"

Flash looked down at his nephew, both horrified and protective. In that one moment, this boy had become his SON, and there was no way he was going to let Wally's real father get away with this.

"We should get some ice on those bruises, Wally." Batman said, voice surprisingly warm. For once he wasn't the stone cold dark knight, and Flash nodded, taking his son to the med bay. A few minutes later Wally was lying on the couch on his stomach, calmed down, with ice packs easing his bruises.

"Barry- try and get pictures of the bruising. We'll need it for the court case." Batman said simply.

"Bats- I know what Rudolph did was wrong, but, jail... Rudolph's a good man. I don't know what happened to him, he just lost his job and I guess things went downhill for the past month or so..."

"I've seen this before, Barry. If you want to make sure this never happens again you have to jail him. Then he either straightens out or stays the way he is..."

Black Canary sat down beside Wally, letting the boy put his chin in her lap and stroking the ginger hair.

"Are you alright, Wally?"

Wally nodded. His eyes were red and puffy, but he'd stopped crying. "Yeah, I'll be okay, Auntie Dinah."

Wonder Woman walked in with a smile on her face. "Want a Popsicle, Wally?"

Wally scrambled so he was sitting up, and the ice packs fell off his back. "Yes please!" he said, and both women laughed.

"Uncle Barry?" Wally asked.

Flash strode over from where he'd been talking with Batman.

"You alright, Wally?" Flash asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah. But can Roy and Scarlet and Dick come... I'm kinda lonely." Wally said. Sure, he loved all his aunts and uncles, but they weren't good to have around like siblings...

Five minutes later, Roy, Scarlet and Dick were at the tower in their civvies, all eager to meet with their surrogate sibling.

"Wally!" Scarlet ran over to him, launching herself at him. Wally gave her a tired smile as he returned the hug. She hadn't noticed his back...

"Hi guys..."

Roy and Dick tried not to stare at the marks on Wally's back.

"Wally..." Dick said, looking uncomfortable.

Wally nodded, blinking hard. "Yeah. I know. It... my Dad got angry..." and Wally started to cry.

Scarlet looked up at him, shocked, before staring to cr as well, her seven-year-old mind still dictating actions by emotion, not thought.

Dick started to cry as well, then, and even Roy couldn't help but let the tears fall. Why Wally? Wally was the nicest kid out there, he was a hero, for crying out loud...

"I'm sorry I... I wasn't there..." Dick said, wrapping his arms around his brother.

"It's alright... T-there was nothing you could've d-done. Really, it's alr-r-ight..." but he continued to sob.

Roy wiped his eyes, sitting down beside his siblings. "Get over here. All of you." He ordered, opening his arms. They happily obliged, all crying but content to know they were safe in each other's arms...

Oliver looked on, slightly shocked, with some of the other heroes.

"What do we do?" Aquaman asked, looking disturbed, "How do you... how do you explain to children..."

"We don't." Batman said simply. "They're together. They can work things out. From here we make on making sure this NEVER happens again. Let them have some time together." And with that, Batman turned, walking out of the room.

The others hesitantly followed.

* * *

 

"Rudolph West, you are under arrest for Abuse and mistreatment of a minor." there was the clicking sound as the cuffs were snapped on.

"You can't do this, YOU BASTARDS CAN'T DO THIS!" He yelled as he was escorted to the car. "Where's my son, that little bas-"

The cop simply slammed the car door on him so he couldn't finish the sentence while his partner continued to read him his rights.

Wally's mother simply stood on the porch, tears in her eyes, watching her husband, the one she'd loved without fail, being taken away. She'd never meant to marry a child abuser, and in truth, this was the first time he'd ever hit Wally that badly. He'd never left marks before...

She'd grown used to her husband going off into long, often cuss-laden rants, his frustrations and anger, but he'd never laid a finger of her before, and never hurt Wally that badly...

She ran inside and slammed he door as soon as they'd driven away, sobbing. How would her family ever be the same?


	67. Bubbles

"Tag! You're it!" Wally yelled, sprinting off in a blur. Roy rolled his eyes- he really hadn't wanted to play tag with the speedster, but yesterday had been rough for the kid, so they'd all agreed.

Batman, Green Arrow, and Flash had called the kids out of school for the next two days, thinking it best they stayed together for the next few days. Besides that, Wally lived in a small town of rural Nebraska, meaning everyone a school would've heard about the arrest of his father.

He didn't want to put Wally through that, having to go to school and face everyone...

So they'd all been hanging out at the watch tower for awhile.

Barry smiled as he watched them horse around- even Roy, who was normally snarky, sarcastic, and enjoyed solitude, was busy trying to evade the speedster.

He checked his watch. Mary, Wally's mother, had called Iris up, sobbing, at around five yesterday evening. Today it was early in the morning, the kids had spent the night curled up asleep while Disney Movies played in the background, and Rudolph had spent the night in jail.

Barry looked at Batman imploringly. "Should I go see him now?"

"Not yet. Leave him until tonight- on his second night, it'll sink in, what he's done..."

Barry nodded, turning, leaving the kids to play while the league discussed other things, all not talking about the situation at hand. They'd already figured that out, and Batman and Flash had things under control.

The leaguers were in a meeting, again, and the main room was littered with bubbles. Roy shook his head and smiled, seeing his face grotesquely reflected and rainbow-tinged in the clear surface of a bubble.

"Where'd you guys even find the bubble soap?" Roy asked.

"We made it!" Wally said. He was more than cheered up- the bruises on his back, which would normally take weeks to heal in an average human were already yellowing and beginning to fade on him. Still, he kept his shirt off, since the bruises were still ender, and no one admonished him for it.

"Wanna help us blow bubbles, Roy?" Dick asked, pulling out a bubble wand, blowing a large bubble that popped in Roy's face.

"Ah! No!" Roy said, running to the sink and rinsing his eyes out. He came back in a few minutes later, looking grumpy, with bloodshot eyes.

"Hey guys- watch this!" Scarlet put the glass of bubble soap to her lips, gargling with it. A moment later she puckered her lips, blowing out a flurry of bubbles.

"Cool! Lemme try!" Wally said, snatching the glass from her and takin a big sip, passing it to Dick, who copied him.

"What is WRONG with you!?" Roy asked, staring at them, shocked. They were too busy blowing bubbles to notice, and Roy stared as they all gargled with the bubble fluid.

"Guys? GUYS!" Roy yelled. Scarlet, startled by his sharp tone, started choking on bubble soap, while Wally did a classic spit take. Dick delicately spit his bubble solution back into the container.

Scarlet was still choking, and Wally thumped her on the back. She spit some clear, bubbly saliva and Roy winced, but she finally caught her breath.

"Do you even know if that's SAFE?" Roy asked.

Scarlet shrugged. "We aren't dead yet, right?"

"No! That is NOT a good philosophy to live by!" Roy said, snatching up the bottle of soap they'd been using. He read the back, eyes widening.

"For EXTERNAL use only. Do NOT ingest. Keep away from children..." he eyed his three siblings contemptuously. "Great. You all stay here while I call poison control."

"No!" Dick grabbed Roy, stopping him. "Batman or somebody would find out! We'd rather DIE than be called idiots!"

"Even if that's what you are?" Roy asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Scarlet nodded. "Ignorance is biscuits, Roy, ignorance is biscuits." she said, screwing up the American phrase. But in her defense, she'd actually adapted well to American culture and sayings. She only screwed up once in awhile...

Roy face-palmed. "Forget it. But don't come crying to me when you start seizing."

* * *

 

"Should I go now?" Barry asked quietly.

Batman nodded. "Go."

* * *

 

Rudolph West looked up when his cell door clanked open. He'd been forced into a neon orange prison uniform and now had five o' clock shadow, and was wondering where the guard was taking him. He knew it was best not to ask.

The past 24 hours had been hell for him. Soggy, tasteless prison food, community showers in cold water, he was surrounded by drug dealers, rapists, and killers. And he couldn't help but think of Wally, what he'd done to him. Was his son hurt badly? He'd just snapped for an instant, but he regretted it now. He'd been heading downhill for weeks...

"You have twenty minutes." the guard said gruffly, pushing him into a white room with a beat up red sofa, and Barry.

Barry stood when he entered the room, scowling at his brother by marriage, not by blood.

"We need to talk."


	68. A Good Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay- this chapter is where they reconcile, and you see Wally's father isn't a totally insane jerk, that he just made a pretty bad mistake. Also, Batman is a good person. Please review!

"Just what kind of a SICK person are you, Rudolph?" Barry asked, scowling. Rudolph had taken a seat across from him on an uncomfortable looking wooden chair.

"Barry- how's Wally?" Rudolph asked, sounding concerned. His face was completely genuine, due to his... hobbies... Barry had learned to tell whether or not someone was lying. This took him aback slightly, but he spoke more softly.

"Hurt. Did they show you the pictures?"

"No." Rudolph said. There was a table between them, and Barry maintained his hostile expression as he slid his phone across the table to him. Rudolph swiped his shaking finger across the screen, looking a the boy's bloody nose, the welts and bruises on his back...

He broke down sobbing, then.

"Rudolph- pull it together. I'm not here to watch you cry." Barry ordered. He was being cold, yes, but he felt it was justified, after what Wally had been through.

"Why'd you do it?" Barry asked, eyes still burning with anger.

Rudolph wiped his eyes and took a shaking breath. "I... I lost my job, Barry."

"And how does that excuse taking a belt to Wally while he sobbed and begged you to stop?" Barry asked, expression not softening a bit.

"I... things were getting tight. I... we had to make the rent payments. I couldn't buy my medication."

"What medication?" Barry asked, suddenly concerned. He knew Rudolph was on several medications, and suddenly things were making sense.

"Any if them. We didn't have the money, and health insurance from my job cut out when I lost it. You know I'm bipolar, Mary and I were trying to keep it from Wally. We don't want him to put labels on people... It was either pay the rent or buy the medications. I figured I could handle it. But the withdrawal from it,the mood swings came back, and the stress got to me. I started getting worse, the outbursts used to be just ranting, but I just lost it that day... I don't expect Wally to forgive me. But I need to talk to him, Barry, please..."

Barry stood. "I'll see what I can do." was all he said, before turning to go.

* * *

 

"They're coming..." Wally said, looking nervous. "Batman is going to KILL us..."

"Play at cool- like Neil Young." Dick said calmly. Roy who was standing beside them, rolled his eyes.

The leaguers all entered, heading towards the kids. Wally looked up at Batman, wide eyed, shaking. He noticed his uncle Barry wasn't with them, which worried him even more. Batman was SCARY, if he knew about what they'd done with the bubbles...

Batman noticed Wally looking like he was going to wet himself, but wrote it off to stress from the beating his father had given to him. "You can relax, Wally." he said. Wally nodded, though, still looking anxious.

"Why don't you all hurry down to the dining hall? We'll be there in a minute." Wonder Woman said, tone warm and motherly, as always.A moment later, all the leaguers got what they were waiting for as the zeta tubes turned on and Barry entered.

"What happened?" Black Canary asked, looking concerned.

Barry sighed. "It's complicated. I knew Rudolph was bipolar, but I didn't know once he lost his job he chose to play the rent instead of buy the meds. Mood swings and stress got to him, he just snapped."

Everyone realized how ironic and sad it was, then. A father who cared enough to give up his own medication to keep a roof over his families head ended up injuring those he'd meant to protect.

"He was crying. The first thing he asked about was Wally. He wants to talk to him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Martain Manhunter asked, concerned. "So soon after?"

Barry nodded. "Yeah. I think Wally needs to, actually. He's confused- his Dad used to spank him when he was younger, but he never hurt him like this. He needs t know what's going on."

"Do you really think this is an isolated incident? That he'll never do it again?" Batman asked calmly.

Barry nodded. "Yeah, I really do think so. What really hurts, though, is that he's probably going to get three months in prison for this. The withdrawal from the medication and mood swings just took over. I'm not saying what he did is okay, but, he prioritized his family over the rent. He really didn't mean to, this is a one time thing. And no one will hire him once he gets out- with a prison record and all. I mean, the whole family, including Wally and Mary, won't be able to afford rent without his job..."

The leaguers just stood in silence for a moment, hit hard by the news that one of their youngest members was abut to have life as he knew it totally broken and twisted away from him.

"Barry, you won the lottery." Batman said calmly.

"What?" Barry asked, shocked.

"That's what you tell Mary and Rudolph. Rudolph will be in jail for a month, tops, since this is he first incident and with the details on medication. You'll find a few thousand dollars transferred into your private account, tell them you won the lottery, and give it to them to tide them over until Rudolph gets out of jail. Rudolph- what's he do?" Batman asked.

Barry looked at him, shocked. "I... he's a software engineer, the company he used to work at downsized."

"Tell him they saw his qualifications, and a position waiting for him at the Wayne Tech branch in Star City if he's willing."

Barry gaped. "I... I don't know what to say..."

"Tell Wally everything's taken care of." Batman said simply.

Barry just stared, dumbfounded.

"Barry- go. That boy's been wondering about what'll happen for too long."

Barry took off running, and beneath the cowl, Batman smiled. Another problem was solved.

* * *

 

"West- you have a phone call." the guard said. There was a slight sound of scraping as the key fell into the lock, the clink of tumblers falling into place, and the creak as the door swung open. Rudolph allowed himself to be escorted to the office and pick up the small phone.

"Dad?" a small voice on the other end asked shakily, fearfully...

"Wally." Rudolph breathed, trying to get his emotions under control. "Are you alright, son? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"Dad?" Wally asked, voice shaking. "A-are you mad?"

"Am I... no, son, no. I'm not. I should never have done that to you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I never should've done that to you."

"T-then why did you do it?" Wally stuttered, still sounding scared.

"Wally- I... I made a mistake, Wally. I didn't have my medicine, it was making me feel lousy, and I just made a bad mistake. I am so, so sorry, son, I promise you never have ti see me again if you don't want to..."

"Dad?" Wally asked, voice still shaky.

"Yes, son?"

"Come home."

Rudolph broke down sobbing, then. "I might not be home for awhile, son..."

"Promise you'll come home as soon as you can? And we'll go fishing every Sunday, like you and grandpa used to do?"

Rudolph nodded. "I promise, son. I promise."


	69. Chuck E. Cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scarlet's eigth birthday party takes an interesting turn, as everyone's favorite chemically imbalanced cleaner shows up.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Roy muttered.

"It's for Scarlet, Roy- she wants to have a normal party with her real friends, to make up for the huge banquet Bruce has to put on every year."

"So? I'm fifteen, Ollie- I shouldn't have to do... this!" he said, motioning to the building in front of them.

"Stop being such a weenie. You're doing this for Scarlet- who knows, you might even have fun." Oliver said, nudging him forwards.

"Shut up." Roy muttered, pushing open the door to the most dreaded hell hole he'd ever been to- Chuck E. Cheeses.

"Welcome to Chuck E. Cheese, is it your birthday?" recited the chipper woman in a red shirt and black pants, with a radio clipped to her belt.

"No." Roy growled. He allowed the woman to stamp the back of his hand with invisible ink that showed under the fluorescent light out front to show they'd been admitted.

The woman unclipped the red rope, as though allowing them access to some exclusive nightclub, and Roy scoffed. Like he wanted to be allowed in the land if greasy pizza and screaming children.

Still, he entered, noticing three eager bodies seated in one of the booths.

"Hey Roy!" Scarlet was wearing a cardboard crown, no doubt because she was the birthday girl, looking excited. They were currently divvying up tokens into cheap looking, rat-themed cups.

"We left you one, Roy!" Scarlet said, sliding a cup over to him.

"Gee- thanks." Roy said, trying not to be sarcastic. Scarlet was turning eight, after all, she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheeses. And she was like his sister- and if she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese's, then by god, they'd go to Chuck E. Cheeses!

The kids all headed to the prize counter, first, checking out the prizes.

"Look- they have a scooter!" Dick said, looking excited.

"But it's 15,000 tickets." Wally said, looking uncertain.

Roy knew they'd never get that amount.

"Come on then- let's get started!" Scarlet said. The ducked behind some of the pointless games, like the water gun race and the prize wheel that was rigged, to the old machine on the back corner. Ski ball.

Wally stuffed in a token and the scratched up, red, wooden balls fell.

"You know people NEVER win these things, right?" Roy asked.

"Everyone, places!" Dick ordered. Scarlet and Wally scrambled up the alley so Scarlet was near the holes where the balls entered, and Wally worked as a middle man. Dick stood at the very beginning of the alley, passing up balls to Wally, who passed them to Scarlet, who dunked them into the 500 point hole.

Roy was actually pretty impressed. His siblings had formed a bucket-brigade of sorts, but with ski balls. And they were getting tons of tickets. He allowed a small smile to cross his lips as he watched.

"Need me to do anything?" he asked Dick, who nodded. "Keep putting tokens in, and as soon as I have one hand free, hand me a ball."

And so it went, Roy helping them on their little evil scheme to win in the back corner, while little kids ran around the rest of the place screaming heir heads off.

* * *

 

Barry looked around the place from where he'd been sitting with Bruce and Oliver, looking scared.

A half-nude boy in only a diaper ran around, licking various things, including the play palace. The kid would probably get the ebola virus or something, and Barry shuddered. Gap-toothed kids brawled over some tokens the man in the rat suit had thrown to them, and a rowdy group of seven year olds attempted to drown one another in the ball pit.

Bruce nodded to them. "We have two choices." he said calmly. "They have a bar here for the parents, to get them drunk enough they don't mind all the... this." he said motioning to the entire establishment.

"Or, we can use this." he set a bottle of extra-strength ibuprofen on the table, and Oliver and Barry nodded.

"Someone has to drive home tonight."

* * *

 

"Dang it, this one's out of tickets." Wally said. They took the ginormous stack they had to the ticket muncher, checking the receipt. 2,341.

"Not bad, for the beginning. Come on. Let's run out the next ski ball alley." Dick said, and Roy smiled, proud. His siblings sure knew how to work the system.

The animatronic band played in the background, some purple fuzzy mop thing was on banjo, and the other thing... He didn't even know WHAT that was, was singing backup, while a robot rat that was supposed to resemble Chuck E. Cheese swiveled and lip sinked,one eye practically hanging out if it's head.

A child high on pixy stix and cotton candy raced past, shirtless, and a woman changed a baby's diaper on the table of a nearby booth.

Roy place had really gone downhill. He just had to get them enough tickets for the scooter, and they'd be gone.

They'd just gotten their second load of tickets when Oliver called Roy, and they sat down to a pizza so greasy it pooled on top of the cheese and soaked through the cardboard beneath the box.

The three youngest grinned and happily ate it, and Roy ate it, as well. It was actually pretty good. The place at least had nice, greasy food.

"You guys having fun?" Barry asked, looking a little traumatized.

Scarlet nodded, before she noticed the beat-up looking roller coaster simulator.

"Guys! We gotta ride that!"

"What happened to the ski ball racket? I mean tournament." Roy amended quickly.

"Later dude- it's a ROLLER COASTER SIMULATOR!" Wally yelled, and the three dragged him over. Roy noticed out of the corner of his eye that the thing in the Chuck E. Cheese suit was hanging around in a somewhat creepy fashion, as though stalking them, and took mental note to keep an eye on the thing.

How all three kids managed to squeeze themselves into the simulator was beyond Roy, but even more astonishing was the fact the he managed to keep the greasy pizza down as the simulator went on. He finally stumbled out, trying not to gag. God, that'd been awful. The kids couldn't have decided to go on that BEFORE they ate?

Just then, he heard Scarlet's terrified scream. He looked up to see the Chuck E. Cheese suit lumbering towards them. Roy narrowed his eyes. Why had that thing been FOLLOWING them? I was like it was a creeper or something...

"Roy! Roy HELP! It's a FURRY!" She yelled, taking off.

Dick and Wally were with her, apparently, and the jerk in the suit thought it was funny to chase the terrified trio down.

Not long after, though, the jerk had them cornered by the ski ball machines. Roy grabbed a basket ball from a nearby game, throwing it at the rat's head and succeeding in knocking him over.

"Come on!" Roy yelled. He and his siblings lit out across the godforsaken place, diving into the ball pit and dissolving into the crowd of other screaming, yelling kids in there.

The all panted, clinging to one another.

"Roy... saved us." Dick said, looking surprised. Roy swallowed the greasy pizza that was threatening to make a second appearance and shrugged. "I was nothing. How do you guys even know what furries are, anyways?"

"Some freaky furry busted into Gotham Academy, had the whole school on lock down for hours. After hat we had a 'furry awareness day'." Dick said simply.

"And you, Wally?" Roy asked.

Wally shrugged. "There are some weird people in Central City, okay?"

The nodded, catching their breath.

"Let's just get the tickets, and get out of here." Roy said calmly. Thankfully, the furry in a Chuck E. Cheese suit was gone, and they crept back over to the ski ball machine. Their ticket grabbing operation stopped only briefly from there, when some sugar-intoxicated kid ran over and barfed in the lane next to them. And even then, they were unstoppable.

Finally, they got enough tickets, and they grinned as they were given the scooter.

"Great. Can we leave this place, now?" Roy asked.

Just then, something huge grabbed him from behind. It was... Chuck E. Cheese himself, the rat.

"The furry got Roy!" Wally yelled, grabbing the scooter from Scarlet and proceeding to beat the crap out of the man in the giant mouse suit.

Roy could've stopped it, but he was proud- the jerk was getting what he deserved. Who did he think he was, sneaking up on him and hugging a kid who obviously didn't want to be near him?

Somewhere in the middle of it all, though, the man's mouse hat/helmet thingy came off, revealing a middle aged man who looked shockingly familiar. Roy gaped, shocked. It was Eugene- the guy from Servpro.

Instantly every kid in the establishment was crying, because they knew Chuck E. Cheese wasn't real, and Eugene was beginning to go on another rampage...

Oliver gabbed Roy by the collar, hauling him and his siblings out of there. They didn't speak until they were on the highway, headed back towards Gotham.

Bruce spoke first. "We will NEVER speak of this, understood?"

Everyone nodded, and Roy smiled happily. It had actually been a decent night, since, after that incident, they were sure to get their pictures on the wall and be banned from every Chuck E. Cheese in the state.

Scarlet beamed. "Best birthday ever!" she whispered excitedly, giving him a gap-toothed grin. Roy couldn't help but smile.


	70. Uncle J

She smiled as she heard the criminal's ragged breathing as he ran across the rooftops. Good. He should be winded. And he should be afraid. Because she was coming for him.

Batman and Dick were busy apprehending the leaders of the drug ring transporting chemicals used to make drugs, possibly dangerous poisions and hallucinagens.

She'd been told to hide in the shadows, to stay a background figure, to come out only if they needed help. Batman and Dick were handling taking down the ring. But the buyer- this man- had started to flee, unoticed, and she'd lit out after him, now.

He wore a long trench coat that billowed out in the wind, he was wearing a hat, and she'd never seen his face. But he was her prey, now, and she as going to get him. She didn't know if he'd completed his purchase and gotten the chemicals or what, but either way, he was involved with this.

She leapt onto yet another rooftop, cackling, feeling ten feet tall. She was eight, now, winter was coming, but the roofs weren't yet slippery. She had him. She'd been slowly gaining on him this entire time, and now they were on the same rooftop, she was feet from him.

At the last second he whirled, backhanding her. She ended up on her back, on the ground, wind knocked out of her. Before she could scramble away his heavy, military style boot was pressed firmly on her chest, and she was staring down a gun barrel.

This was it. She was going to die. If someone was shooting for her blindly, her kevlar armor would protect her, but here, at point blank... One shot to the head would be enough.

She heard a familiar laugh, the man pulled off his hat to reveal... The Joker. She froze, looking at him, terrified. No. He wouldn't really kill her, would he?

He smiled and lowered the gun. "Sorry about the scare, kid." he said, grinning at her.

She said nothing, just staring a him, catching her breath.

"Well? No hello for Uncle J?" Joker asked, sounding disappointed. "Ah well. I could kill you right now, sweetheart. But I won't. You know why? Because I like you." he whispered the last sentence, leaning close to her. His breath smelled like a mixture of honey and alcohol.

"That's right, little bird. You're Uncle J's favorite." he punctuated the last word and she gasped as she felt a stab in her upper arm, a needle entering her skin...

He looked down at her remorsefully, like he was in pain. "Sorry about this, kid."

Something icy cold dripped into her veins as she laid, taking a shuddering breath, struggling to stay concious. Her vision was blurring now as she saw the bleached, white face grinning down at her.

"Nothing personal. But I want a clean get away, and the big bad bat won't let that happen if I take you with me. And this is the only way you'll stop chasing your favorite Uncle."

His voice died in her ears, she stared up at the Gotham sky, studded with thousands of diamonds and the silver pearl... no, that was the moon, wasn't it? Her breathing grew ragged, and with a start, she realized she was alone on the roof. But the next thing she knew, everything was black.

* * *

 

"Sparrow, this is Batman. Do you copy? Sparrow?" Batman's voice grew more desperate. He and Dick had zip-tied several criminals, but he'd found Sparrow wasn't at her post.

Finally, his wrist computer beeped. He had her pinpointed. She was located two blocks away, and her tracker wasn't moving.

"Found her. Robin, let's go."

"Don't you want me to stay with them until Gordon gets here?"

"No- come on." he said sharply, in a tone Robin knew he wasn't supposed to disobey. He obediently followed his father, launching his grappling hook and taking to the rooftops.

Batman was only sharp with his prodigy because he had a sinking feeling something was wrong. He lept from roof top to rooftop, powerful frame landing with surprising grace each time. Still, it was nothing compared to Robin's wiry frame that seemed to float with practiced ease...

Now wasn't the time to analyze technique, though. On the rooftop he was approaching, he could see her lying, motionless, on the ground. He approached, he felt his heart jump to his throat. On her chest, held there by his daughter's own gloved hand, was a single playing card. A Joker.

* * *

 

Bruce Wayne looked at her sleeping form, now, concerned. The toxicology scans had shown nothing in her bloodstream but a large dose of a sedative, which wold explain why she'd been out for going on four hours.

But she'd tangled with the Joker- and she'd lived. She hadn't gotten a scratch on her, aside from the jab from the needle of the syringe, which the Joker had left beside her. Like he WANTED him to find it, to analyze the chemicals.

But there was nothing, nothing but a sedative. Either the Joker was playing games, or there was something the scans weren't picking up, something that would hurt his little girl... Either option was equally as bone-chilling.

Letting his victim live was already uncharacteristic of the Joker, but it could've been a wannabe trying to frame the crazy clown...

Scarlet moaned, and he quickly looked down at her. She could tell him what hapoened, he knew it, and he stood, taking her hand, waiting. She moaned again, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Are you alright?" he asked, trying not to betray how worried he was.

"Mmmm... Joker... where?" she asked, lookin around, confused. He felt his heart sink- she'd just confirmed his suspicions it HAD, in fact, been the Joker. Meaning he was planning something, DOING something...

"You never should've left your post." he said firmly.

"I... couldn't let him get 'way, Dad. Figured he was just some guy, I didn't get t' see his face..." Scarlet slurred.

"And if the fight had gone south? If Dick and I needed you?" he asked angrily.

"Bu' it didn't, Dad..."

"But if it had?"

"Jus' like IF I told 'bout Zucco, my parents wouldn't be dead." she muttered, eyes closed. He knew what she was referring to. He'd told her not to go down the road of ifs, and now she was using his own words against him...

"You took that out of context. You were stupid. He could've killed you." Batman said firmly. "No patrol for two weeks."

Her eyes flew open and she looked at him angrily. "Not fair! I thought he was the buyer, thought he might know sometin'..."

"I don't care. You made a misake, you'll be punished for it." he said firmly. But really, he'd need those two weeks to organize a schedule where she was either always with him or Robin on patrol. The Joker hadn't killed her, meaning he wanted her for something... The Joker was playing games with his little girl. And he didn't like it.

Scarlet looked at him, eyes burning with unvoiced anger at his punishment. "Fine. 'Least I'm Joker's favorite..." her eyes fluttered closed, and she turned away from her father so he back was to him, facing the wall of the batcave infirmary, leaving Batman reeling, chilled to the bone by her words.

She was the Joker's favorite... but she didn't understand what the psychopath was capable of when he grew bored of playing with his favorite toys.


	71. Fate

Scarlet didn't look up as he entered the room. She hadn't said a thing, hadn't spoken a word to him since he'd spoken to her on the night of the Joker. That had been four days ago. And it was slowly killing him, seeing his bubbly little girl giving him the cold shoulder, not looking at him, speaking to him, not even acting like she could hear him.

"You want to go on patrol?" he asked.

She looked up at him, surprised, blue eyes gauging whether or not he was serious.

He nodded. "Go get changed."

She was grinning in an instant, bolting down towards the Bat cave, and Bruce smiled, flexing his hand unconsciously and wincing as he looked down at his knuckles. Blood had begun to seep through the bandages, again. He closed his eyes and tried to forget...

_He'd found the Joker in his full glory- a church turned into a graveyard. He'd released laughing gas into the vents during a service, by the time he'd gotten there they'd been dead, all dead, skin bleached white, lips pulled into that evil grin, bodies rigid. What haunted him the most was their eyes, though._

_The eyes, even glazed over with death, had shown the terror that contradicted the grins forced onto the dead features._

_He looked down at the bodies remorsefully. Small children, clinging to their parents, bodies stiff, dead, all dead. Elderly people trampled in the aisle, after the hysteria had ensued, desperate people reaching out, their entire expressions stolen, twisted into that wicked grin, but everything showing through the eyes..._

_The priest laid dead on the altar, candles blows out and strewn about, and in the walls of the supposedly holy place, pictures painted in blood..._

_He'd left Robin home, and he was glad. He could see three figures clearly painted. A bat and two birds, side by side..._

_He nearly jumped out of his skin as the organ boomed some senseless sounds. It was only his training that kept him grounded. He turned, facing the choir loft, before seeing the Joker walk into view._

_"Joker..."_

_"Aw, what, no birds today? I even wouldn't have minded robin, though Sparrow, I'm sure she'd told you, is my favorite."_

_Joker jumped down the fifteen feet to stand before Batman, pistol in hand. "Well? Where's my little bird?"_

_That sent Batman over the edge, then, and he flew at the Joker, only to find his knuckles collide with something sharp..._

_He recoiled, nd e Joker laughed, unbuttoning his cost to reveal a spiked vest._

_"Joke's on you, Batman." he said, smiling his insane grin. "And I know your weakness. A little birdy told me..."_

_Batman stared. Sparrow had been sedated, there was no way she could've..._

_"Liar." Batman spat._

_"Maybe, maybe not! Hard to tell, isn't it?" Joker asked, laughing. "Oh- I've been meaning to give you this. Me and my favorite niece..."_

_He tossed the picture onto the ground, and Batman stared. It showed an unconscious Sparrow, and Joker with his lips on her cheek. How dare he touch his little girl, let alone kiss her..._

_"Just a goodbye kiss..." Joker sang, smirking._

_Before he could even wipe the stupid grin off his face, Batman was on him, straddling the spiked vest, beating crap out of harliquin of hate. He beat the clown ti the edge of consciousnesses._

_"Stay away from them. Both of them." he growled into the psychopath's ear._

_Joker laughed, his deranged, high-pitched laugh that seemed to shake the entire death-ridden place._

_"Even you can't stop fate, Batman..." the Joker whispered, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he fell unconscious._

"Dad? You coming?" he was pulled from his revere by Sparrow's voice, and looked to the doorway, seeing her looking at him, head cocked curiously. "Dad? You okay?"

He nodded, smiling. "Fine." he said. And he was fine. Because the Joker was back in Arkham, he was confident enough to let his children back onto the street patrol with him. He'd never let anything happen to them.


	72. Mace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small amount of lighthearted fluff, as things have been getting pretty dark lately.

"What's the point of this again?" Dick asked as they trudged along in the forest.

"Something about tracking skills. Heck, I haven't seen a track in miles. We lost our mentors. They'll be the ones tracking us down." Roy said.

"At least we have Twinkies." Scarlet pointed out.

"Rrrroooyyy..." Wally whined.

Roy sighed. His feet hurt, he was covered in sweat and bug bites, since they were hiking through some South American forest, and they were hopelessly lost.

"What?"

"I have to pee!" Wally said.

Roy looked like he was considering this fir a minute "Fine. Go ahead. Pee, let loose, be free- whatever." he turned back, working towards finding the non-existent trail leading back to their mentors.

"But... Roy. This is the middle of the woods." Wally said quietly.

"So? Take a leak anywhere you want. Wait! Take a leak on anyTHING, that means not on me, Scarlet, or Dick, we clear?"

"But there isn't a bathroom!" Wally said, clearly upset.

"Well no duh. The world is your bathroom Wally." Roy said, rolling his eyes. Wally looked at him, surprised. "The... the world is my bathroom?"

"Yeah. Now go, pee, do... whatever it is people like you do. And come back here so we can keep moving."

Wally nodded, unzipping his pants. No one turned around, not until they heard Wally start screaming.

"Holy crap! I peed on a fire ant nest! Roy- help!"

"What!?" Roy ran over beside his younger brother to find his ankles covered with fire ants, that were rapidly stinging him, THROUGH his pant legs, and climbing up towards his nether regions.

"Pee on them! Drown them!" Roy yelled, trying frantically to brush the ants off his brother's pants.

"I'm empty!" Wally yelled. Roy was feeling his legs start to smart then, as well, the fire ants had found their way onto him.

"Don't just stand there, then- zip up your pants and run!" Roy yelled.

Just then, Scarlet ran over, spraying something everywhere.

Roy watched the ants fall off him, onto the grund, spazzing out like they were on crack.

"Are the ants... twerking?" Dick asked, smiling slightly.

"No- they're convulsing." Scarlet said calmly, spaying the nest before nodding to Roy. Roy could smell something spicy...

"Is that... mace?" he asked, surprised.

Scarlet nodded. She was still spraying all around them. "Die ants, die!"

"So violent..." Dick said, but he was grinning. Scarlet finished spraying the ants and tossed the can back to Dick, who pocketed it.

"Did you guys just... mace... fire ants?" Wally asked, as they continued walking on, both Roy and Wally more itchy than normal from the fire ant bites.

"Yep. Mace. Never leave home without it." Dick said simply.

Wally grinned mischievously, before snatching the can of mace and spraying Roy in the eyes.

Roy gasped, staggering back, screaming all the way, and Wally gaped. "Come on- it can't hurt that bad."

Roy just kept clawing at his face, screaming and writhing around. The mace was EVERYWHERE- in his eyes, nose, mouth, he could barely breathe...

"It can't really hurt THAT bad, can it?" Wally asked, He sprayed the air in front of him, curious. And at that moment the wind blew it into everyone's faces.

"I was wrong! I was SO wrong!" Wally yelled, falling to the ground, trying to find something to do to stop the burning on his face.

Dick ran into a tree and ended up rolling into Roy, who was cursing under his breath, and Scarlet just curled into a ball, breathing raggedly, waiting for the burning to stop.

* * *

 

"Shouldn't they have found us by now? We've been waiting for an hour..." Flash said, looking bored.

"Give them time. This is their first tracking exercise, they'll screw up a lot. They'd let us know if something was wrong."

Just then, they heard the screaming n the distance.

"Roy!" Oliver yelled, notching an arrow. Flash moved quickly, but couldn't run all out because the trees were so plentiful and close together.

They were all tearing through he trees, then, and slowly, to their horror, the screaming stopped.

"Guys! Guys, what happened!?" Flash yelled.

They finally burst into the clearing to find all the kids covered in dirt and mace, their eyes tearing like crazy.

"Wally- you're an idiot, you know that?" Roy asked, rubbing his irritated eyes as he coughed.

"I know!" Wally sobbed. His eyes were still burning and he was wiping his eyes. "I get it- don't play with mace!"

"What happened?" Oliver demanded.

"Wally maced us all." Dick said, holing his cape to his bloody nose from the tree. "ALL of us."

Wally noticed Batman and started to hyperventilate. "Please don't kill me, please, please don't kill me..." he pleaded, whimpering.

"Your stupidity punished you enough already." Batman said, picking up the discarded can of mace. "Next time, don't spray Mace in the wind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T PLAY WITH MACE, KIDS!


	73. Defending Honor

"Hello? Mr, Wayne, I'm afraid you need to come to school immediately."

Bruce looked up from where he'd been absently working, slightly shocked. "What happened?"

"It's Scarlet. She was in a fight, she's been suspended for three days. I'm having her teacher compile the work she'll miss, but you need to come and get her."

"Of course." Bruce hung up, heading to the garage, concerned as to what Scarlet had done.

He jogged into the school to see another girl, one much bigger than Scarlet, clutching her bloody nose and crying. "She just hit me, Mommy!" she cried.

"You called my parents tramps. You deserved it!" Scarlet snapped from where she stood, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She looked angrily at the girl, whose mother stared daggers at her.

"Apologize." she ordered.

"No." Scarlet said firmly, meeting the woman's firey gaze with one of her own.

"Scarlet, what have we told you about respecting adults?" the Principal Hayes, a new principal, said, clearly looking uncomfortable.

"Respect is something you have to earn, and they haven't earned it." Scarlet spat.

"Scarlet." Bruce gave her an understanding look and she seemed to look a little less hostile.

"Maybe we can work this out." he said, nodding to the mother. He looked to principal Hayes- he'd have the most unbiased story. "What happened?"

"Katlin apparently made a derrogatory remark about Scarlet's... um... background. Scarlet said something in a foreign language, Katlin slapped her, and Scarlet lost it."

"She had a broken nose." the girl's mother said, shooting an angry look at Bruce.

"Scarlet. Is that true?" Bruce asked.

Scarlet nodded. "She hit me first, Dad."

"I know, Scarlet..." Bruce said. "But that doesn't mean you break her nose."

"She was asking for it." Scarlet muttered.

"I expect an apology." the girl's mother reiterated angrily, glaring at Scarlet.

"Lower your expectations, then." Scarlet retorted.

"You hit my daughter, ATTACK her, and are disrespectful to me! I want an apology! And I want it now!" the woman yelled, clearly trying to scare Scarlet into backing down.

"No." Scarlet said coldly, meeting the woman's cold gaze with one equally as fierce.

"Let me put this bluntly. Both girls are suspended for three days, and they can return to school on Monday, after the weekend." Principal Hayes chimed in, clearly uncertain what to do about the parent-child confrontation.

Bruce nodded, while the other woman blanched. "Suspended? Katlin did nothing but tell the truth! That girl is a menace! The product of gypsy love, that girl doesn't belong at Gotham Academy..."

"Mrs. Ludwig!" Bruce thundered, and she stopped her rant, looking at her sternly. "We can continue this discussion in private, without our girls present."

Mrs. Ludwig glared at him. "You'll be hearing from my attourney, Mr. Wayne. I expect you to pay for the medical bills, and pain and suffering!"

"I looked forward to that conversation." Bruce said tersely, turning to Scarlet. Bruce spoke quietly to Scarlet in Romani, asking if she'd gotten the books she needed to continue doing her homework while she was surpended. Scarlet responded with an affirmative, and with his arm around his daughter, guided her towards the door.

She sat in the back seat of the corvette, curling against the door as soon as she had her seatbelt on.

Bruce pulled out of the school parking lot, looking back at his little girl.

He pulled into a parking lot behind a Wayne Tech warehouse, one he knew would be vacant, and parked the car in the empty lot, turning around to face her.

"Scarlet."

"What? You're going to punish me, aren't you?" she asked bitterly.

Bruce looked at the expression of anger on her face. He'd never seen that scowl on her face before.

"No. I may punish you, but before I make my decision, I want to know what happened, first."

She looked up at her father, scowl still on her face. But she spoke.

"Kate was picking on me, since her best friend Ama wasn't there to do it." she said simply. "Calling me circus peanut and clown face and stuff, like they do every day."

"They do it every day?" Bruce asked.

She nodded. "I normally just ignore them. But then she called my parents worthless gypsy tramps, so I stood up and cussed her out in Romani. She didn't know what I was saying, but she knew it was bad, so she slapped me. Once she hit me, I knew it was okay for me to, so I dropped her and started to beat the crud of of her."

"That's it?" Bruce asked.

She nodded, looking at him, skeptical. "What? Are you going to punish me? I don't care- it was worth it."

Bruce studied her in silence for a moment, wondering what he should do. She'd lost her parents, like him, she was just defending them. In her eyes, she hadn't struck that blow to defend herself. She'd done it to defend her parents.

"What would you have done, Bruce?" she asked quietly.

_"Your father was useless- said he was a doctor. He killed more people than he saved!"_

_"And your mother- Martha Wayne, Gotham's SLUT!" Jerry and his pals burst into laughter as a ten year old Bruce Wayne stared at the boys hatefully. They were older, there was a gang of at least four thirteen year olds learning down at him. The bullies of Gotham Academy._

_"What is it, Wayne boy? You gonna do something about it?"_

_He was literally shaking with rage, and he flew at the boy, knocking him down and driving his fist into his face again and again until he was a screaming, bloody mess. His friends had trid to pull him off by now, but he didn't listen, elbows and knees flying wildly as he knocked them all down, gave each and every one of them what they deserved._

_Alfred picked him up an hour later, looking at the boy he had promised to care fore. Ripped uniform, bloody knucles, red rimmed eyes and all, as well as a bloody nose himself._

_"I heard what happened, master Bruce. You did the right thing."_

_And that made it all worth it._

Bruce smiled at the memory. "That is the ONLY time fighting is okay when you're out of costume, If they insult your parents. Are we clear?"

Scarlet looked surprised, but she nodded.

"And Scarlet." Brucd said, looking back at her. There was a bruise on her face, a hand-shaped bruise from where she'd been slapped.

"Hit them harder next time."

Scarlet grinned at him, then, and he smiled. That was his girl.

"You up for McDonalds?"


	74. Oh Deer

Roy sighed, relaxed. Batman, GA, and Flash had to go attend some boring peace conference with the UN, so he was stuck babysitting.

Yet for once- he didn't mind it. Because he'd come up with something brilliant- Hide and Don't Seek. And he was currently the don't-seeker. He was sitting in his room, listening to monks chanting on his ipod and feeling- for once- completely zen.

He smiled. This was really, really nice. And knowing how devoted these kids were to hide and seek, they were out of his hair for at least two hours, if not more. He sighed, relieved. This whole relaxing thing wasn't so bad.

Maybe that book for teenagers Oliver had so awkwardly presented to him when he turned thirteen- was right. Maybe he shouldn't sweat the small stuff. Of course, he wouldn't know, since he'd read the title, which was 'don't sweat the small stuff- for teens'. He'd started to flip through it, interested about what he was becoming, since this book seemed to know quite a bit- possibly even more- than he did about being a teenager.

And THEN he'd come to the very, VERY detailed diagram of the male and female reproductive system, tore the book to pieces, and flushed the shreds down the toilet during the night. So, obviously, he wouldn't know, since the book was currently situated in the septic tank. Not that he was stressing about that- like the book said, don't sweat the small stuff.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder what his younger siblings were doing.

Wally had probably hidden in the fridge, consuming everything he could fit into his mouth except for horseradish. Wally had eaten incredibly disgusting things sine he met Roy- a gum ball he found in the cart return at Walmart, under the gum ball machine, toothpaste, and some M&Ms he'd found on the movie theater floor- yet he wouldn't touch horseradish.

Dick was most likely in the vents, being a ninja while simultaneously dragging himself around, using his body to dust out the ducts, and Scarlet- she was probably in the crawl space beneath the manor or something. Hopefully she didn't run into any wild animals under there.

He looked down when he heard a thud, but chose not to investigate it. Not now, when his blood pressure was normal and it'd been a relatively good day.

And then everything was ruined by the shattering of glass. His eyes flew open and he stared. He didn't want to know- he really didn't. But he knew he had to at least check on the kids to make sure they were alright, and he was slightly worried they'd end up having another mouth-wash incident in the ER, but he stood, pausing his music and bracing himself for the pandemonium to come.

He came downstairs and was shocked to find no one, just a shattered window, the remains of which were lying on the living room rug.

He knelt down to examine a piece. That was strange- the glass would've fallen outside if someone had broken it from the inside, but since it'd fallen it, someone would've had to have broken it from the outside. Still,with his siblings, anything was possible.

"Wally? Scarlet? Dick?" he called. There was only a skittering sound from the kitchen. That was the only response.

"It's okay- fine if you don't want to own up to this. I'm really not mad- I just want to make sure no one's hurt. It's fine- come on out." He seriously wasn't upset, and he gave himself a pat on the back for keeping his cool. He deserved a sticker or something for this.

There was no answer. "I'll take that as a no, then. Okay, everyone's fine- I'll tell Ollie it was a bird or something that hit the window."

He went back upstairs to resume being zen.

* * *

 

Wally breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Roy heading upstairs. He'd been in the kitchen, raiding the fridge, but he'd hidden when he heard the window break. He didn't want to loose at hide and seek, and he figured Scarlet or Dick had broken the window.

He settled down to munching on a box of cereal, figuring he'd wait a little longer before venturing out and risking being caught.

He heard something odd from the kitchen, though, that was directly on the other side of the door. Was that- snorting?

"Scarlet? Dick? That you?" Wally asked. At the sound of his voice, the noises abruptly stopped. He was confused, and he opened the door, curious... To be staring into the eyes if a quivering, massive ten point buck.

He froze- every muscle within the deer was taught, like he was ready to spring forward, his sides heaving, and he had that terrified look in his eyes.

Wally dropped the box of cereal, and in a flailing mass of sinewy legs and hooves, the deer barreled out of the room.

Wally gaped, shocked and a little scared. He knocked on the floor three times.

A moment later, Scarlet appeared from the crawl space, after he helped her by pulling up the three loose floorboards.

"What's up, Wally?" she asked, looking curiously at her brother's odd expression.

Wally looked like he'd just taken a sip of sour milk. "I... um... I think... there's a deer in the house. But I could be hallucinating..."

Scarlet shrugged, opening the pantry door. "Only one way to find out. Where'd he go?"

"Towards the game room, I think..." Wally said, still looking unsettled.

Scarlet peered down the hall, finding herself staring at a pile of round pellets of crap...

"Um.. yeah. I think it's a deer." Scarlet said simply.

"So I'm not crazy." Wally said, looking relieved. "So- what do we do about it?"

Scarlet shrugged. "I have no idea. You're supposed to know these things! You're older." Scarlet said, looking to him for guidance.

Wally threw up his hands in frustration. "Well pardon me for not signing up for 'what do do when deer break into your house 101' when I got to pick my junior high classes this year!"

"Why don't we ask Dick?" Scarlet asked, and Wally nodded, looking relieved to at least have a plan. "Yeah- Dick'll know what to do."

Wally grabbed a broom and started banging on the ceiling.

* * *

 

Roy could hear a repetitive banging as he chilled out in his room, but he chose to ignore it. He was not going to sweat the small stuff, and a moment later the banging ceased. he smiled, eyes still closed. This zen thing was really working out.

* * *

 

"Do you want to give our position away to Roy? What happened to 'win hide and seek at all costs?" Dick demanded, peering out the vent grate that led into the kitchen sternly, looking annoyed. He took his hide-and-seek seriously.

"There's a deer in the house." Scarlet said simply.

"There's a what in the what?" Dick asked, thinking he'd heard them wrong.

"There's a deer in the house." Wally repeated.

"Are you serious?" Dick asked, kicking out the grate and jumping down to be with them.

"Yep. He left a little present in the hallway." Scarlet said. Dick nodded, noticing the glass in the living room.

"He must've jumped through the window." Dick confirmed.

"What do we do?" Wally asked. "Maybe... maybe we should tell Roy."

"But then we'd loose hide and seek." Dick said, looking serious.

Just then the deer barreled into the room, bucking and kicking, antlers somehow caught on a towel rack that'd been ripped from the wall.

Luckily the kitchen was so large- the kids reacted, each doing a perfect hood-slide across the marble island and racing upstairs towards Roy room, hide and seek forgotten. They'd give up the ghost at hide and seek, as long as it meant they didn't get gored by those antlers.

* * *

 

Roy opened his eyes, slightly annoyed, to the incessant banging on his door. It sounded like a bunch of wildebeests, and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore it. It didn't go away, though.

He opened his eyes, annoyed, after the second minute.

"If no one's bleeding and nothing's on fire, I don't want to hear it- you guys need to learn not to sweat the small stuff." he said, turning up his music.

All three of his siblings barreled inside, then, an expression of pure terror on their faces.

"There is a deer IN THE HOUSE!" Dick yelled. The twelve year old was probably as close to hysterical as he'd ever seen him.

Roy sat up and yanked out his ear buds, shocked. "What!?"

"A deer jumped in the window and broke it and now it's trashing the house." Scarlet said, looking afraid.

Roy looked at all three kids- none of them looked like they were lying.

"This is some joke, isn't it? Some cruel, cruel joke, right?" he laughed uncomfortably at the end, which promptly turned to a grimace when he heard shattering from downstairs.

"What do we do?" he asked, looking from face to face nervously.

"Call 911?" Scarlet suggested.

"No way- they'd think we were prank calling!" Roy said. He slammed his bedroom door, muffling the sounds of destruction from downstairs and sighing.

"Maybe we could call a hunter or somebody to shoot it?" Wally suggested.

"Oh yeah, like some guy like Elmer Fudd is gonna help us now." Roy said bitterly.

"Maybe... maybe we could chase it out." Dick suggested hesitantly.

"No!" Scarlet and Wally said in unison. "That thing is HUGE! No way we'd be able to get it out..."

Scarlet looked up after a beat of silence. "What if- what if we started the house on fire? I mean, Bambi ran away from fire, didn't he?"

"That just might work." Wally said, and Roy face palmed. "No! Just- no! Our insurance will DEFINITELY not cover that!"

"Well does it cover unruly deer?" Dick asked.

"I- argh! Forget it- I'm calling Ollie. He can't possibly blame this on us. We just have to figure out a way out if this..."

He tried paging Ollie via communicator, but he wasn't answering. He tried once, twice, by the fifth time, he gave up hope and threw his communicator across the room. "He's not ANSWERING, damn it!" he was breathing heavily now, and he kicked the wall, frustrated.

He was SO not zen right now. Forget ZEN- what did people ever get from being zen!? They got a retarded deer that broke into their house and super hero parents who wouldn't pick up the dang communicator!

Just then, he had an inspiration. "Everyone in the bathroom!" they ran down the hall, locking themselves in the bathroom. Roy sat on the closed toilet, nodding to them. "Here's the deal- we take this place BACK. Trap that thing in a room and chill until Ollie gets back. Scarlet- you chase that thing into the kitchen with a broom. Dick, wally, you try and push the desk from the office over against the shove door- I'll get the other one. We set?"

Everyone nodded, and Roy opened the door. "Let's move."

They'd just finished by jamming a chair under the doorknob when Oliver, Bruce, and Barry walked in.

Oliver looked around, shocked. The place looked like a tornado had hit it. Couch cushions torn up and leaking stuffing- the broken window, curtain rods on the floor, end tables overturned and broken lamps and picture frames everywhere.

"This is SO not what it looks like." Roy said.

Oliver's jaw clenched and he spoke through grit teeth. "You...trashed...the house. I could take it the first time, Roy, when that maniac broke in. But this- this is too much. If you were going to have a party, the least you could do is have it when the kids were NOT around..."

"Woah! I did NOT have a party! I've been-"

"Upupupup!" Oliver silenced him, shaking his finger at him. "I am not finished speaking." he was clearly trying not to totally lose it in front of everyone.

"But Uncle Ollie..."

"Shh! Scarlet, no." Oliver said firmly. He opened his mouth to speak when the deer, which as inside the kitchen, rammed into the door, and it moved.

Barry stared. "Did that door just... move?"

"Everybody down, now!" Roy yelled, voice commanding authority. "Cover your heads- this is gonna be rough."

"What i-" Bruce was cut off as the chair fell over, the door burst open, and the deer went barreling through the glass front door, running across the lawn and disappearing into the woods.

Slowly, the kids all sat up. "Everyone okay?" Roy asked, and they all nodded.

Oliver stared at the freshly shattered glass, shocked. "W-was that a deer?" he stuttered, disbelief written on his expression.

Roy rolled his eyes. "No- it was just the one guy that came to my PARTY. You know what, forget this, I'm done! Bruce, Barry, take your kids and run, I'm about to flip out!" Roy yelled, before turning to Oliver.

"I TOLD YOU! I SO friggin' told you! 'this isn't what it looks like'! Well of course it isn't, cause a retarded friggin DEER jumped through the window and went on a freakin' rampage! You didn't answer your communicator! I called like FIVE TIMES!"

Roy started to replay the messages.

_'Hey Ollie... we have a... situation at the manor you need to come home... um... now. Thanks, come quick!'_

_'Ollie- I REALLY need some help. This is pretty serious, come home now!'_

_'Dammit Ollie, ANSWER! We have a SITUATION here, I need help! Get your ass home!'_

_'Ollie- please, please come home- there's a deer in a rampage, the kids are scared, and we're locked in my bedroom. Please, please help...'_

_"Screw it! What the hell is wrong with you- 'call in an emergency, Roy, durp durp durp' the ONE time there's an emergency you don't answer! Forget it- oh shit."_ there was a bunch of crashing in the background, and the message cut out.

Roy stood, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. "And the worst part is- I was RESPONSIBLE! I didn't call the cops, the press would've been all over it if I did, I CALLED you and- screw it! Screw being zen! Don't sweat the small stuff- only idiots listen to that crap! From now on- I WILL sweat the small stuff! And I WILL like it! I will FLIP OUT LIKE A HORMONAL GIRL every time plans change! And I will LOVE it! Screw you, self help books!"

Roy kicked the wall, heading upstairs. He stopped just before he slammed the door. "Have fun cleaning up the deer shit!" he yelled, before he fell into bed, sighing. It'd been a rough day.


	75. Ladies Man

"Ollie- Ollie, no. Tell me you are NOT DVRing this." Roy pleaded,f ace in his hands, He'd since forgiven Ollie over the deer incident, but one week later, he was praying their cable would suddenly go out...

"This is a big deal, Roy. Your first solo mission in Star, I want to have the news coverage of it." Oliver said, smiling and trying not to snicker.

Roy moaned. "No, no Ollie, you really don't have to do that..."

"This is an important... heh... milestone." Oliver said, stifling a laugh. Roy face palmed.

"Okay? How much is it going to cost?"

"Cost for what?" Oliver asked, looking confused.

"Cost to make you forget this. How much? Ten, twenty grand? I have a trust fund for emergencies, and THIS is an emergency..."

Oliver grinned. "Oh no. You can't bribe me. I'm a billionaire, remember? Besides... no amount of money would be worth THIS."

"Please! Please, Ollie, I'm begging you! Don't!"

Oliver grinned, starting to DVR as the news began.

"In other news, Speedy was seen performing a heroic act today- rescuing a kitten in need."

Roy groaned again from where he was sitting, and the footage started to play.

A little girl on a slum block sat under a tree that'd grown tall in the sidewalk planter- there, in the tree, a good fifteen feet above her, was a scruffy looking black kitten with a frayed pink ribbon tied around his neck.

And then there was Roy, clad as Speedy, jumping from the roof of the run-down brick apartment, bow slung across his shoulder by the string. The yellow-gloved hand caught a branch, and he swung to the next branch, closest to the mewling kitten, and the next, before scooping it up in one hand, nimbly jumping onto a branch five feet below, and taking the ten foot plunge down to land gracefully in front of the tearful girl, kitten in hand outstretched.

The kitten squirmed and wriggled, mewling, and the girl wiped her teary eye, looking both shocked and happy as she pulled the kitten close to her, dirty blonde hair falling onto the stained t-shirt.

"Thank you." she said, wiping her eyes.

Roy smiled, tipping his yellow hat with the red feather before disappearing into an alley.

It cut back to the news anchor, who smiled. "Not only is Speedy a gentleman, he's a lady's man. Whoever he really is, he has his charm down to a science..."

Roy's jaw dropped. He really, REALLY didn't need to hear about how much the middle-aged, not very attractive anchor thought of him.

"And for for your forecast."

Oliver looked over at his son's face and scoffed. "Are you... blushing?"

"No! My face is naturally red!" Roy said, defensive.

"Right." Oliver said, rolling his eyes. "Though, that was a pretty good rescue. Nice, simple- you made that little girl's day. I never knew you could climb trees like that."

Roy shrugged. "Some things come natural when you grow up on an Indian Reservation. And it was a sucky rescue- no action. I looked like a pansy."

"Yeah. You did. At least you looked good while doing it. I mean, it was a pansy task, but you looked semi-awesome while you were swinging around." Oliver admitted. Roy picked up a pillow that was on the end of the couch and threw it at his father. "Not helping."

"Well, if the hero thing doesn't work out, you can always marry that news anchor."

"Shut up." Roy said, rolling over.

Oliver sighed. "Fine- tell you what- I'll let you come with me to bust up the Virgo Gang tonight. You could use a pick-me-up... ladies man." Oliver snickered at the last part, and Roy glared at him before heading to change into his uniform. He was so NOT a ladies man, at least, not for the ugly anchor. If it were the weather girl... that as a completely different story. he sighed. He just couldn't win tonight.


	76. Helping Out

"Wow. Never knew trees... ATE people." Roy said. The kids had been chilling at the tower, as usual, when the league had been called out on an urgent mission. Apparently Poison Ivy and Bane had teamed up, and were currently attacking Washington DC.

"Yeah. That happens sometimes..." Dick confirmed.

"And with all the parks in DC, all the plants... Ivy must be having a field day." Scarlet speculated. Wally nodded, and they continued watching the live news report.

"Again, citizens are advised to STAY IN THEIR HOMES until further notice." the reporter was saying. A car had crashed behind her, a fire hydrant was spewing water, some buildings were on fire in the background, and the tulips in a nearby planter were attacking the cameraman.

"Henry- we need to find cover. Switching to the overhead cam of Justice League units."

They watched. On the dome of the capital building, Batman was engaged in hand to hand combat with Bane, while Green Arrow was trying to free Flash from some vines currently immobilizing him.

"Well, they're failing epically." Roy said, looking unimpressed.

"For the record, Ivy is pretty cunning. Not to mention, she's probably got her plants hopped up in Bane's venom..."

"Yeah, but still. They're part of the Justice League- they should be able to hold their own against a few pissed flowers."

Green Arrow was knocked off the building, just then.

Roy scoffed. "Great. Wow. And Ollie thought I was looking wimpy for saving that kitten."

"Think we should help them?" Wally asked, looking over at the screen again. "I mean... they look like they COULD use it."

Dick shrugged. "Meh. I guess we could. We'd need a plan, though."

"Get rid of the venom supply and use plenty of weed killer." Scarlet said simply.

Dick nodded, and Roy looked from kid to kid. "Are you guys serious?"

Scarlet nodded. "Those plants need a constant supply of venom- if we cut it off, they'll weaken, and if we dump enough raid on them, they'll die."

"Are you serious?" Roy asked, looking at the two Gothamites. "Then why don't the leaguers do it?"

"They're trying. Probably can't figure out where the venom cache is." Dick said simply.

Wally raced out of the room before running back in, arms full of cans of raid.

"Found some stuff!" he said, looking excited.

"Are you guys sure you can handle this?" Roy asked, looking doubtful.

They were already running for the zeta tubes.

There was a road block, the entire capital building was blocked off with police men keeping people back. The four lods pushed through the crowd, Roy with his bow ready, Scarlet and Dick each with fists full of birdarangs.

They ducked past the barriers, getting ready.

As they ran, they stared up at the dome.

"How do we get up there?" Roy asked.

"Find the venom feeds first." Dick ordered. "We'll head out from inside..."

The place was on lock down, but Scarlet set a detonator and the doors blew open.

There was a huge vine monster, as well as other pissed off plants on the looked around to find themselves staring at the ceiling of the dome.

There was a fountain, and rising around it were vines, huge vines, the thickness of a man's torso, that punctured the roof of the dome and went onto the roof, and were no doubt whipping around and trying to kill their mentors...

One vine fell through the roof, hitting the ground near them. They all took cover, watching a brown, brackish liquid ooze from where the vine had been severed and it thrashed around...

Finally, it laid still. Dick nodded towards the roots of the vines, which were anchored around the fountain.

"The fountain's the venom supplier."

"It's WHAT?" Roy asked.

"They're feeding it in through the water supply. We have to turn off that fountain." Dick said quietly.

"Dick... We have a problem." Scarlet hissed. Dick noticed the potted plants slowly creeping towards them, the vines all over, getting closer and closer...

"Wally- try and cut off the water supplying the fountain." Dick ordered.

"Scarlet- you and I will take care of the plants. Roy- you find a way onto the roof."

Roy nodded, grabbing his bow and firing off an arrow with a rope attached, a rope strong enough to hold them all.

There was the sound of hissing and slicing as Scarlet and Dick fought, back to back, and Wally was using an arrow he'd taken from Roy to pry up the flooring tiles, trying to find the tank supplying it...

"Wally! How much longer!?" Roy yelled, sending an arrow into a plant.

"I found it!" Wally said, excited. Roy, Scarlet, and Dick were circled around him, protecting him.

"What are you waiting for? Rip it out!" Dick yelled. They couldn't hold out much longer.

Wally simply stared at the red numbers counting down on the timer.

"It's a bomb!"

"How long do we have?"

"Thirty seconds!" Wally yelled.

"Not any more." Scarlet threw an explosive birdarang down at the tank. "Everybody down!"


	77. A Little Victory

The explosion rocked the building. There'd all dove behind a seat, but ceiling tiles, dust, and glass shards from the fountain were everywhere.

Finally, though, the dust began to settled. Roy looked around, feeling for his siblings, since he could barely see a thing.

"Everyone alright?" he asked hoarsely.

He could hear Scarlet coughing, and a hand reached out to grab his own. He could make out three faces looking at his own...

"Fine." Wally said calmly, before turning to Scarlet. "W-why would you do that?"

He was referring to the explosive birdarang in the tank, of course.

"We didn't have time. Those plants were closing in on us, we needed their venom supply destroyed ASAP. Besides- our mentors needed it, too."

Roy nodded. "She did the right thing."

Just then, another severed vine fell from the ceiling. It landed on them, this time, with surprising force that made everything fuzz out for a minute.

"We have to get up there." Dick said, after he'd used a birdarang to slice through the vine.

"Right." Scarlet pulled out the grapple gun she'd recently been given, shooting it at the ceiling, which was looking unstable at best.

"Wally- let's go." Dick put an arm around his friend's waist, pulling him up with his grapple gun.

Roy simply shot another arrow with a rope attached, climbing up. He put his fist through a nearby ceiling tile and stumbled out onto the roof of the dome, just in time to see Bane about to snap Green Arrow's neck...

"NO!" He reacted, grabbing the first arrow he could and firing. It struck Bane's shoulder blade and exploded, and the man dropped Green Arrow, who gasped for breath, and turned towards Roy...

He was shocked to see not only surprise, but genuine fear of his father's face.

Oliver had never been afraid of ANYTHING before, unless... unless it would most likely end badly.

Batman dove in with a flying kick that Bane blocked, Flash was unconscious, hanging upside down by vines, and Poison Ivy was struggling to rally her dying plants.

"Speedy- get Green Arrow out of here- NOW!" Batman yelled, sending a fierce volley of blows at Bane, which the man expertly blocked.

Roy ran to his mentor, who was gasping painfully for air...

"Ollie... I'm gonna get you out of here, Ollie, relax..." The scared fifteen year old struggled, throwing his father's arm across his shoulder and dragging him towards the edge of the roof, getting on his comm.

Scarlet and Dick were covering him from attack from the vines with birdarags, Wally was using a birdarang he'd been given to cut Flash down, Ivy was looking desperate, and Bane and Batman were still locked in fierce combat.

"I need Ollie beamed up, NOW!" Rou yelled over the sounds of combat. His comm was silent. There was no one at the tower to respond. Oliver had passed out, now, and Roy stared at his pale face, frustrated. There was no one at the tower.

"Roy! We need you!" Dick yelled. The plants had rallied, now, Ivy had doused them in a vial of venom she had left for emergencies.

Roy stared down at his foster father's face, desperate. "I'm sorry, dad..." He whispered, before staggering to his feet, pulling back his bow...

He launched an explosive arrow at the central concentration of vines, they hissed, and the building shook.

Some vines died, and Wally grabbed one, racing around Ivy with it, tying her up with her own creation...

Batman was trying to cut the venom lines in bane's face mask, but unfortunately, Bane was expecting this, and was doing surprisingly well.

He seized Batman by the throat, dangling him over open air...

"Dad!" Scarlet's alarmed scream rang out, and Batman sunk a fist into the man's chest. Of course, it had little effect...

Roy whirled, explosive arrow loaded, and fired. It exploded when it made contact with Bane's hand, blowing Batman and Bane apart. Batman caught himself on the ledge lf the dome, and Bane stumbled back.

"Stupid children. I have the strength if a hundred men- you cannot defeat me."

"Now!" Dick approached from nowhere, slamming into Bane at top speed, knocking him back... off the very edge of the building.

The villan hit the cement hard, a spider-web of cracks spreading under him as he landed on the cement below. Dick, thankfully, had landed on top f the shell-shocked steroid addict, and quickly rolled off, staggering to his feet. His legs felt like jelly, but he'd survived the fall, he wasn't badly hurt...

There was a blur of concerned red and yellow standing next to him, then, pulling him back from Bane, who was laying still...

"Dude, areyouokay? Holycrapyoufelllikeahundredfeet..." Wally was so panicked, and Dick so shaky, that neither of them noticed the hulking mass that was Bane getting to his feet.

Just as the mammoth was about to attack them both, an arrow sang through the air, striking Bane's shoulder and sticking. It beeped once, twice, before it exploded, sending the man staggering.

Scarlet swung down gracefully, Roy following soon after, landing on the pavement yet again.

"So, we going to fight this guy or what?"

* * *

 

Batman had since recovered himself onto of the building, but was busy ministering to Oliver, who was breathing less than he should have been, lips turning blue...

He got on his comm as he worked, struggling to save the archer.

"Kids- do NOT engage. Bane is NOT to be engaged. I repeat, stand down..."

He winced at the sound of explosions below. "STAND DOWN! Anyone, I need a beam for Oliver and Flash to the tower, they're wounded... Kids, I ordered a RETREAT!""Not even if we could, Dad." Dick's voice crackled across the comm, defiant and concise. He was NOT letting Bane get away, not after what he'd done to Green Arrow and Flash...

* * *

 

"KF!" Roy yelled as Bane threw the Speedster into the marble steps of the building, and it cracked.

Wally moaned, staggering to his feet, He could do this. They could ALL do this. What was the alternative?

"Watch his hands! Super strength is his weapon!"" Scarlet ordered, throwing yet another birdarang that Bane dodged.

"I'll come in front, you go behind. Now!" Dick yelled. Scarlet came from the back, attempting to hack open the venom feed tubes in bane's mask with a birdarang, but failing miserably as Bane grabbed her and threw her into Dick.

Bane scoffed. "Your father sends his children. A sacrifice, I suppose..."

Neither Scarlet or Dick faltered. They knew what he was doing. Trying to make them doubt their mentor would only distract them fro the task at hand, Besides, Batman HADN'T sent them into combat- it anything, he'd ordered a retreat. They could rest with the fact they died disobeying orders.

Roy had an arrow pulled back, ready to fire...

Bane turned to him, chuckling. "Go ahead, boy. Shoot me. I have body armor. Unlike your mentor."

"Shut Up!" Roy sent an arrow into the body armor, Bane laughed.

The four children were circling the monster of a man, now, but Roy was steaming...

He pulled out his last arrow. A razor sharp arrow, one that could easily kill a man. He was only supposed to use it in dire circumstances, but this was it...

"Hey ugly! Over here!" Wally was running slower than normal, but he still managed to shove Bane as he ran past him.

Dick came in from behind, making Bane turn when he cackled. As soon as he wasn't looking, Scarlet's fist was in his face, sending him staggering back...

Roy had his bow pulled back, now, every muscle within him taught, sweat pouring down his dusty, grimy face, making more filth stick to it.

"Hey Muscles! Over here!" Roy screamed, after Bane had succeeded in knocking off the other three.

Bane turned, Roy had a clear shot, and he fired. He smiled as he released, already knowing the arrow was going to hit. Everything was in slow motion, the arrow flew, tearing through the tubes that connected Bane with his venom feed...

The arrow flew past and struck the ground, sparks flying when the steel, razor-sharp arrow head hit the marble of the steps of the Capital building.

"Game over." Roy said quietly.

"Now!" Dick yelled. Wally shoved Bane, who was touching his ripped venom feed, shocked, as the very liquid that gave him power pooled beneath him...

"Collar!" Wally yelled.

Scarlet threw it to him, and he slapped it on Bane, leaving him just as powerful as any other human being. Dick cuffed his arms and legs together, and they all stood for a moment, chests heaving, catching their breath, not believing they'd done it.

Batman had finally gotten Flash and Green Arrow beamed up, he swung down, nodding to the kids and handing Bane over to the authorities, pulling out his comm.

"Beam us up." he ordered.

A moment later, they were at the watch tower.

Batman looked over at the kids- grimy, hair matted with sweat and debris, and torn costumes. Still- no one was hurt. Just bruised. He sighed, for once not knowing what to do.

They'd disobeyed direct orders, and they could've died in the process. But they'd saved them, as well.

"Where's GA?" Roy asked, fear creeping into his voice. It roused Batman from his thoughts, and he realized they could deal with the issues later. Two kids had injured mentors they needed to see...

"Resting in his room. He has a few broken ribs- needs to be kept quiet. You can have five minutes with him."

Roy nodded before walking towards the room, trying to keep himself calm. Oliver was fine, would be fine...

He punched in the code to his father's room, entering quietly.

"Dad?"

"Roy, god, are you alright?" Oliver tried to sit up but winced, and Roy hurried to his side. It was dark in the bedroom, and Roy eased his father back down onto the pillows.

"I'm fine, Dad. Are you?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine... God, you look like hell." Oliver wiped some blood from his son's face. He'd gotten a bloody nose somewhere along the line, as well as a few other cuts and scrapes, but he was mainly just grimy...

"You scared the crap out of me, coming in out of nowhere." he said simply.

Roy shrugged. "We saw on the news- you needed help."

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess we did." Oliver started coughing, a pained look came over his face, and Roy quickly found a cup of water on the bedside table and brought it to Oliver's lips.

"Thanks." Oliver said, when the fit subsided after his drink. "Listen, did Bane..."

"No. We got him. Wally and Dick and Scarlet and I got him."

"Without Batman?" Oliver asked, looking shocked.

Roy nodded. "Yeah, he was busy with you and Flash. Used that razor arrow to shoot through his venom feed tubes."

Oliver gave him a weak smile. "Nice."

"Yeah. Are you alright?" Roy asked, looking at his mentor, concerned.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah... I'll be fine. You look pretty beat up. Go take a shower and rest, We'll talk about this later."

Roy nodded, showering and doing as he was told, back in his own room. The warm water felt so good, rushing over his bruise, which were tender, and washing the grime from his cuts and scrapes...

He pulled on a pair of boxers and a shirt, before falling into bed, exhausted.

Wally laid, asleep, beside Barry in the medbay. He was always one for physical contact, and with his uncle still asleep with a concussion, in bed, there was no way he was going to leave him alone. Still, he was tired, so he couldn't help but just drift off beside his uncle...

Barry opened his eyes and waited for his vision to come into focus. His head hurt something awful, the last thing he could remember was the battle...

There was something warm pressing against him, and he smiled when he looked over to see a tuft of ginger hair, and a filthy, exhausted Wally curled up against him. He gently nudged the boy until he was on his back, licking his thumb and doing the best he could to scrub the grime from his face without waking him. Wally's nose twitched his his sleep, like a rabbit's, and Barry couldn't help but smile.

Once he was sure the boy wasn't injured beyond any minor cuts and scrapes, he rolled back over, allowing Wally to nuzzle into him again. Most thirteen year old boys would be afraid to curl up in bed next to their parents, let alone uncle, but Wally was so incredibly close with his uncle, it was normal. He was like a puppy- yearning to have his hair ruffled, to be touched, approved of, loved.

Barry smiled. He remembered Wally had been working on cutting him free of the vines during the battle. Wally had been there when he'd needed him then, and he was again, now. He stroked his nephew's fiery red hair until he fell asleep.

* * *

 

Bruce looked down at the two grime-covered children laying in his room, in his bed. His cowl was down, they were both asleep...

They'd disobeyed direct orders today. That scared him. Because in gotham, to disobey orders meant you would almost certainly get hurt, captured, tortured, or killed. But they'd done it- the four children had defied all odds and capture Bane when three leaguers couldn't. He still wasn't sure how, but they'd managed.

He'd be having a firm talk with them when they woke up- he could've lost them. Dick had an arm protectively around Scarlet, even while they were sleeping, and Scarlet was nuzzled into her brother's side.

They were used to this, of course. He remembered them saying something about sharing a bed with their parents in their quarters on the train, they were close like that.

And they'd taken down Bane. That alone surprised him enough to wonder if he'd underestimated them that severely. He sighed.

"Don't scare me like that again." he ordered, before he, too, fell into a chair beside the bed. They'd sort this out later.


	78. Cobra's Drug

"Robin, come in. Robin!" Sparrow yelled into her communicator. The league had simply let them off with a stern warning not to help again after the incident two days ago, but she was in trouble now, real trouble.

It'd been a normal patrol, they'd staked out a drug deal. It'd all been fine, but somehow the leader, Cobra, had managed to douse Batman in pheromones that made him turn on them, attacking them...

"I'm a little busy here, Sparrow!" Robin's voice crackled back. He was trying his hardest to fight of Cobra's men solo. "Try and keep Batman busy!"

"Right." Sparrow said dryly. She dodged the bola Batman had thrown, ducking into a dead-end alley. She reached the end, vaulting onto a dumpster and jumping onto the opposite wall, vaulting off that and catching the edge of the roof with her hands, pulling herself up.

Batman grunted from below, his grapple gun deployed...

He was still after her. Great.

She could double back, try and get to the docks, near Dick, so he could manage to help her as soon as he was done with Cobra...

She jumped across the rooftops, cape snapping in the night, Batman behind her...

Stupid pheromones. She could hear Batman running with abandon behind her, his normal stealth forgotten. There was only one thing on his mind, now- killing her.

She was jumping to another rooftop, dodging onto the next, and the next... She was in mid-air, leaping to the next building, when she felt something tug at her throat, someone had seized her cape. With a jerk of his hand Batman pulled her back, letting go, and she fell the two stories below, landing in a dumpster which was, thankfully, filled to overflowing with bags of bottles. Still, the landing was painful, and she laid dazed for a moment.

The breath had left her in a terrifying rush, and with the wind knocked out of her, there was no way she could move...

There was a shadow a few feet away as Batman jumped down, landing in a crouch, cape around him...

He grunted, starting his search for her by knocking over trash cans, the metal clanging as it hit the pavement. Thank god he couldn't see her.

She was bruised, a few cuts from the bottles, but overall she was fine. She shifted her weight and fell to the side of the dumpster, landing as quietly as she could and hunching against the side of it, trying to catch her breath. Nothing broken, just bruises...

She was by the docks, and she had a feeling that if she could make it to the loading docks, she could hide among the crates until Dick could come and help her.

The question was, could she make it there? She could see it was a thirty foot run, but maybe...

She heard a grunt and stiffened. Batman was only a few feet away, now. It was now or never...

She took off running in a half-crouch, almost making it to the docks. She was halfway there, halfway...

There was the found of a grapple gun firing and an intense, burning pain in her shoulder, and she gasped. The grappling gun embedded just above her shoulder pulled, Batman was trying to retract it, pull her closer towards him with it...

It had to be strong to retract so fast and pull up two hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle, and it was pulling at her now, pulling, hard.

She strained against it, scrabbling, but it knocked her off her feet, leaving her clawing desperately at the ground. White hot agony coursed through her as the grappling hook pulled, but finally, with a sickening sucking sound she was free, was staggering towards the loading docks. She needed to hide...

She dove between two metal storage units, crouching, gasping, praying the shadows could hide her. She grit her teeth, wincing, as she used her uninjured arm to reach over, trying to put some pressure on the wound above her shoulder blade. There was a flare of pain and she winced, looking shocked when her hand came back slick with her own blood.

She gasped, before quickly flattening against the cold metal wall, wincing when the wound was jarred but not caring. There was the snap of a cape above her, a dark shadow, as Batman jumped over, onto the next metal storage unit, before relaxing when she realized he hadn't seen her.

Still, she couldn't stay here forever...

Suddenly Batman had landed beside her. There was a triumphant smirk on his face, and his fist collided with her nose, sending her flying. She landed on some crates, biting back a scream as the corner of one dug into her shoulder blade. She pulled out a shaky handful if explosive birdarangs, sending one at him. He dodged, and she climbed onto one crate, then the next, still throwing.

She flipped behind the crates, turning and peering out, tossing a birdarang from point blank that struck Batman in the chest, embedding in his body armor.

His eyes widened beneath the cowl, before it exploded, sending him flying and leaving him in a heap by a dock that led out to several boats, motionless.

"Dad!" the nine year old stood, running towards him, all fear instantly forgotten when she saw the heap of singed cloth that was her Dad lying still on the wood...

"I'm sorry, Dad, I'm sorry, you made me do it..." she wiped tears away from her mask, falling to her knees beside him. Was he dead? No, no, he couldn't be dead...

He seized her by her hair, then, throwing her behind him. She staggered, shocked and relieved as he growled at her. At least he was alive. Maybe she could reason with him...

"Dad. Daddy, please, stop..." she said, looking at him, desperate. Blood was dripping down her back, she was barely on her feet, and her father stood before her, breathing raggedly.

"Cobra got ahold of something, he drugged you with it. It's me, Dad, it's Scarlet..." her voice was pleading, then, almost a whisper. She didn't care she used her real name. It was just the two of them on her docks. Sirens were screaming, now, but she didn't break eye contact with her father, praying some weak, primal part of him knew it was her, praying he'd resist.

"I am NOT your father." he ground out, before landing a powerful kick to her chest. She felt something crack and cried out in pain, landing a few feet away, skidding on the dock. Blood smeared beneath her.

"I am Batman- protector of Cobra." he stalked towards her, kicking her cruelly in the side. She felt something else snap and cried out again, whimpering. "Dad... Dad, please..."

"I am NOT your father!" he barked sharply.

He seized her by her hair, dragging her towards the end of the docks. Her head was forced up, and she stared att he night sky, at the stars, tears forming in her eyes.

"Dad..."

He grunted. She stared at the stars, like diamonds in the black velvet sky, the moon, like a solitary pearl in all her glory, wondering if it'd be the last time she'd see them.

Her head forced up, her neck and under her chin were exposed. Batman's hand looked like a tiger claw- one blow would send her reeling, snap her neck...

"Batman!" Commissioner Gondron was rapidly approaching, a few officers behind him, but he stopped, shocked, at the scene before him.

"Cobra drugged him!" Sparrow said simply. "Stay back!"

Commissioner Gordon looked from her to Batman, shocked. Suddenly the man had his gun raised, pointing it at Batman.

Robin ran up, shocked, looking from his bloody sister to Batman.

"Don't! Don't shoot him, please!" Sparrow yelled, suddenly terrified. With the birdarang that'd exploded earlier, she wasn't sure Batman's body armor could take another hit.

"One step and I kill her." Batman ground out.

"He doesn't know what he's saying!" Robin yelled, desperate, as well. He saw how damaged Batman's armor was- there was no way it'd stop a bullet.

"Let her go, Batman. Shoot on three, boys."

"One..."

"No!" Scarlet moved, despite being grabbed, launching herself as best she could and taking out Batman at the knees. They both fell into the black waters of Gotham Harbor.

"Scarlet!" Dick hit the water after his sister, not sure if she'd be able to swim up. He seized her by her cape, pulling her to the surface. Choking and gasping, he dragged them both back onto the docks, pulling them up. They were both shaking, the December water was freezing, and water dripped and pooled on the docks around them as Dick pulled her close.

"Dad!" Scarlet yelled, struggling to get back to the water. "Where's Dad!?"

Batman surfaced a moment later, coughing and choking. "Scarlet?" he called hoarsely. "Dick?"

"Here, Dad!" Dick called. The twelve year old stared as his father dragged himself out of the water, and Batman was shocked to see both children staring at him with trepidation and... fear?

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at them both. Scarlet was fairly clinging to Dick, shivering violently and staring at him. He could see blood smeared all over her costume...

"You're hurt." he reached a hand out to her and she hesitantly took it. He tried to help her to her feet, but she went down like a newborn fawn, Batman barely catching her before her knees hit the dock.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, picking her up, bridal-style, surprised when he found his gloves were slick with blood- her blood.

"You did..." she said through chattering teeth.

"I... what?" he demanded, shocked.

"Cobra drugged you. We can talk about this later. She's loosing blood, Dad." Dick said, eyes imploring his father.

Batman nodded, walking down the docks with his daughter in his arms. He turned to Gordon, who was looking both shocked and horrified by what he'd just seen.

"Don't interrogate Cobra. Only I deal with him."

Gordon nodded, before the three shadowy figures disappeared into the night.


	79. Fallout

She was shaking as he held her, clinging to him. That was the first thing that crossed his mind, The second was the intense guilt, the anger. HE'D done this to her. No one else. He was to blame.

She whimpered, shivering violently. Batman drove with one hand, using the other to put pressure on the wound in her back, trying to slow the bleeding. Alfred was waiting for them at the Batcave, stretcher ready, and Dr. Leslie stood beside him, looking grim, in trepidation of what she was going to see.

Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched when she saw Scarlet.

"Get her out of the costume." she ordered. Batman peeling the sopping wet costume away from her. His heart broke when she whimpered, and once her top came off, revealing her white sports bra, stained red with blood, and the chunk of flesh adjacent to her shoulder bone missing.

She shuddered, there was blood trickling down her back. Leslie took it into stride, though,starting an IV and slipping a syringe into his daughter's arm until she drifted off, sedative taking effect.

"I'll see what I can do." she said calmly, before turning, wheeling her away.

Dick sat, looking anxious. Batman turned to the boy. He really didn't want to, but he needed to know...

"What happened?"

"I... I don't know." Dick said, swallowing. "I came at the end of the fight. You had her by the hair, head pulled back... You were ready for a kill strike to the throat."

Batman nodded, doing his best ti keep his expression neutral. Of Dick saw the anger on his face, he'd misread it, think he was angry with HIM, and might refuse to say anymore. And he NEEDED to know.

"Gordon raised his gun to shoot. He was shaky, Scarlet was begging for him not to shoot. He was getting ready to when she knocked you into the water, tried to save you. I pulled her out of the harbor, the drugs wore off when you hit the water."

Batman nodded. He didn't bother asking how badly he'd hurt her- he'd seen the damage first hand.

Dick made a choked sobbing noise, and Batman looked over, surprised to see tears rolling down the boy's face.

"I should've been there!" he said, choking back another sob. "She radioed for help! I should've come! I should've just LEFT Cobra..."

"You did what you thought was best." Batman said firmly, placing a gloved hand on the boy's shoulder. "You didn't know what was happening. She never radioed you while she was injured. You took Cobra DOWN, so this will never happen again."

"But... Scarlet..."

"Even if you were there, you wouldn't have been able to stop her. Do me a favor- bring me that syringe." Bruce ordered.

Dick obeyed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and obeying. Bruce found a vein, jabbing the needle in and pulling back the plunger, and blood flowed in due to the force created by the vacuum. He'd test if, figure out the drug's components, later.

Until then, he stood, pacing, worried. This was the worst Scarlet had ever been hurt before, and he was, understandably, very worried. He blamed himself.

Leslie emerged a half an hour later, pulling off her bloody latex gloves as she went.

"I stitched up the wound in her back. She has a broken rib, and another cracked one, and she's going to have some bad bruises. She'll feel really sore for he next few days, but she'll heal. What happened?" Leslie asked, looking at Bruce, eyes hard.

Batman sighed. "I was drugged. Whatever it was, it caused extreme aggression. She led me away while Dick took down the perpetrator, tried to hold me off, an lost." he hated to admit it, but he was the reason his baby girl was in so much pain...

Leslie motioned for Bruce to follow her away from Dick before speaking.

"She's been whimpering. Crying in her sleep. Whatever happened... she's scared, Bruce. She needs her father."

"The last thing she needs is me. Not after what I've done to her." he turned to walk away.

"Bruce. Where are you going?" Leslie demanded.

"To interrogate the man who made the drug- and make sure this NEVER happens again."

Bruce walked past the med bay, surprised to hear crying.

"Daddy... daddy no..."

He stopped, peering into the medbay. She was in the bed, crying her eyes out as she slept.

He stepped inside the room, hesitating. He didn't want to scare her, didn't want to hurt her anymore...

"No! Stop, it's me, Dad, it's me, just stop!" the screaming escalated, and he couldn't take it. He turned and ran from the room. What had he done? He'd terrified her, now, there was nothing he could do.

He punched the wall, cracks spiderwebbing out inti the stone around his fist. Her cries had quieted now, but still, there were tears in his eyes. She'd need time, time away from him, to heal and relax. Meanwhile, though, he'd be sure Cobra never did this again.

Alfred looked down sadly at the little girl in the bed before him. He'd increased her sedation, she'd stopped screaming, now, calmed and still, no longer thrashing. Her wound had re-opened, started bleeding again, and he carefully re-bandaged it.

He'd seen Batman run out of the room. The man needed time- he was blaming himself. But still- more than he needed time, Scarlet needed her father.


	80. Reconciliation

"Master Bruce, is this really the time..." Bruce turned, throwing a bat glare at the butler, telling him to be quiet. Of course, Alfred had grown used to this, and he stood and faced the man in all his English glory, lips pursed, a burning look in his eyes. "Cobra needs to be interrogated." he ground out in his batman voice.

He didn't think he could take being Bruce Wayne, father of a child a child he'd nearly killed, tonight.

"Yes. And there's a little girl in there who needs her father." Alfred said vehemently, pointing towards the infirmary door.

"The last thing she needs is me." Batman said, looking distant for a moment before turning on heel with a snap of his cape, headed towards the Batmobile.

"No. The last thing she needs is a father who walks out on her. She's lost one father- isn't that enough?" Alfred asked, looking seriously at the boy he'd known since he was born.

"Batman is NOT her father." and he was gone.

* * *

 

She woke up gasping, her ribs burning. It'd been so vivid, so real... "Dad?" she called, nervous. All she really wanted was her father.

She stood, feet cold on the stone floor of the batcave. She walked out carefully, looking room was dark, no one was there, and she didn't want to bother Alfred. Knowing the faithful butler, he'd most likely just gone upstairs to bring down a snack or something for her.

The Batmobile was gone. Her heart sank slightly, but she should've known.

Hero duties came before, sometimes... It still didn't make it any easier, though. She headed back towards the infirmary, bare feet slapping on the floor, before she climbed back onto the bunk, wrapping herself in the sterile, thin white sheet and turning to face the wall.

She heard Alfred enter the room and look at her, but feigned sleep. She didn't really want to talk to anyone right now- she just wanted her Dad.

* * *

 

"Why did you do it?" Batman growled angrily.

"Why not? A god must have... means... to control his subjects." Cobra glared at Batman, golden irises and narrow, red pupils accenting his muscular figure. The arrogant lunatic really thought he was a god. "Your son was lucky to have caught me. I almost doused him in the drug as well- and then what would've become of your precious daughter?"he sneered, and Batman whirled to face him.

"Leave my partners out of this."

"You mean your offspring, no doubt. I can see your daughter was wounded- there's dried blood on your gloves." Cobra smirked. "Your daughter is the favorite."

"I have no favorites." Batman growled, not even sure why he was engaging on this topic of conversation. He loved BOTH kids more than life itself, but still, he loved them each for their quirks and creativity.

He wasn't even sure he HAD a favorite- when they were together, they all seemed to bundle into one heap of love and joy. But now he felt guilty- had he been playing favorites?

"Of course you don't. Which is why you've no doubt tended to your daughter and left your son alone to spend the night awake. Did you even speak with the boy?" Cobra sneered. "A son you hate, and now you have your daughter's blood on your hands. I hope she didn't die- I'd enjoy taking her from you again."

Batman felt his blood boil, then. He'd spoken to Dick, reassured him tonight. He NEVER played favorites.

True, he pushed Scarlet harder than Dick, watched her more carefully, was more protective, but only because he'd seen all the awful things that happened to young girls in Gotham when they didn't guard themselves well...

He whirled with the speed of a cheetah, backhanding Cobra into the wall.

The golden-tanned man hit it with a shockingly loud crack and slid down it, sitting on the floor for a moment, hands still cuffed behind his back, shocked.

"Who was your contact? Where did you get the chemicals?" Batman hissed.

Cobra simply reached up and touched his cheek where he'd been struck- the area was already reddening, it'd be bruised later. The man's face contorted into one of rage. "You have marred the face of a god!"

"You're insane." Batman hissed, eyes narrowed. "And if you ever touch either of my children again, EVER, I will hunt you down and prove you're mortal- I'll prove you can die."

And with that said he turned, marching out of the room and disappearing into the night, leaving a stunned madman behind him.

* * *

 

He stood in the doorway of the infirmary, watching her sleep.

She normally slept on her stomach, face in the pillow, but with her broken ribs, he knew that'd be exceedingly painful. With the stab wound to the back preventing her from lying that way either, she was tossing and turning, whimpering in pain every now and then.

It broke his heart.

Suddenly she rolled the wrong way and snapped up into a sitting position, crying out in pain.

"Scarlet!" Bruce's instinct took over, then, he ran to his daughter as she struggled to catch her breath, holding her as she gasped, a terrified look in her eyes.

"Breathe, Scarlet, breathe, it's all right..." he said calmly, gently pulling her close to him.

She finally caught her breath. "Dad?" she asked quietly.

She rested a pale cheek on his kevlar armor, shifting in a way so weight wasn't put on her injured ribs. "W-why'd you leave me?" she asked sleepily, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"I had to interrogate Cobra. I was afraid you'd be... afraid of me." he admitted the last part quietly. He'd never really admitted he was capable of fear before, let alone to his nine year old daughter, but he'd finally done it.

He waited, worried about what she'd say.

"Wasn't you, Dad. Drugs make people do crazy things..."

Bruce had to chuckle at that, then, since Scarlet had coined that phrase after she'd seen a man who was high as a kite running around, barefoot, in December, singing Mariah Carey's Touch My Body at the top of his lungs.

"Yeah, I guess they do. How're you feeling?"

"Better, now that you're home..." she was cut off by a huge yawn, and Bruce had to smile slightly, before the mood was somber again.

"Were you having nightmares- about me, hurting you?" he asked quietly.

"Only one. And it went away." Scarlet said calmly, nuzzling even farther into her father.

Bruce smiled. "Get some sleep." he said, deep voice reverberating in his chest as he spoke.

Scarlet smiled, and Bruce realized she liked the noise it made with her ear pressed against it. So he absently kept talking until she leaned heavily on him, completely asleep.

It was almost one in the morning, he was tired, too, and he had a board meeting at Wayne Tech tomorrow.

Still, he didn't have the heart to leave her, and despite how uncomfortable it was, he fell asleep in that infirmary chair,mladen in his Kevlar and with one of his most loved companions.

Alfred smiled when he found the two like it in the morning, he'd have to wake Bruce soon so he could get ready for his meeting... Still, he had a few minutes. He may or may not have snapped some pictures to email himself later.


	81. Sardines

"This is BORING!" Wally sighed, falling out of the chair and onto the floor of the watch tower. "I'm dying! The boredom- it's killing me!"

Roy rolled his eyes. "Please stop whining."

In truth, he'd just gotten out of midterms and had a pounding headache.

"But I'm bored." Wally whined. "Uncle Barry promised he'd be here!"

"Yeah, well the UN calling an emergency meeting kinda trumps our plans for training for the day, doesn't it?" Dick asked, looking up from where he'd been sitting, hacking his new iPhone.

"Scarlet?" Roy turned around to find the nine year old covered in yogurt (that yogurt in a tube). "Freaking wonderful." He muttered.

"Cool! How'd you even do that?" Wally asked, eyes bulging.

"Gogurt tubes weren't made to be twisted, I guess.." Scarlet said, giving him a nervous smile.

"Dick, get me some paper towels, would you?" Roy ordered.

Dick scrambled into the kitchen and came back a moment later with some towels. Still, no matter how hard he scrubbed, her costume still had a neon blue stain on it. He sighed. "I give up. Today officially SUCKS." he declared, flopping back into his chair.

"What if we played Sardines?" Dick asked.

"We played what?" Roy asked, intrigued.

"Sardines. One person hides and everyone else looks for them. Once you find them, you have to squeeze in with them, until everyone but one person found them. The person who isn't squeezed in the hiding spot or finds everyone else last looses." Dick said calmly.

"Sounds COOL!" Wally said, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet energetically.

Roy cocked an eyebrow at Dick. "How do you know how to play this game?"

"I... um... Batman uses it as a training exercise." he said quickly, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.

In reality, the twelve year old loved to play games with his dad, and it was especially fun to try and watch broad shouldered, large Bruce Wayne try and squeeze under a bed to hide with him...

"Yeah. Remember when I wedged myself in that cupboard, We almost had to call the jaws of life to get me out..." Scarlet smiled slightly at the memory, as did Dick.

Roy's head was still pounding, but he sighed. "You know what- fine, I'll play sardines with you." Maybe it would get him some peace and quiet.

"Sweet!" Wally said. "Who hides first?"

"I do! Count to twenty!" Scarlet was already off and running. Twenty seconds later, the hunt began.

Dick pulled out the vent grate and crawled in, content to begin his quest, while Wally was still looking around the room. Roy's plan at first was to "look" for her in the bathroom, pop some aspirin, and head off to bed, but he was actually kind of curious as to where Scarlet was hiding.

She'd only had twenty seconds, she couldn't be far...

He just had to figure out how to get into the crawl space. He wandered out of the room, searching for an access hatch.

Scarlet was, in reality, hiding behind the couch. The couch was placed diagonally in the corner, so there was, in reality, three feet or so cubic feet back there for her to hide.

She'd normally choose some place complicated, like the crawl space, or the vents, but since that was expected, this time she decided to play it old school.

Ironically, Wally stumbled across her first. He made sure he was alone in the room before he dove behind the couch, squeezed into the little triangle area, with her. "Is it a good hiding place?" Scarlet whispered hopefully, looking over to Wally.

He nodded, smiling. "Really good." he assured her. Twenty or so minutes later, Dick jumped out of the vent, sighing, heading towards the couch. Her was mumbling to himself.

"Not in the crawl space, not in the vents, or the boiler room..." He flopped down on the cushions. "She's getting good."

Wally had started to giggle, but a moment later gasped.

Scarlet was on top of him, knees on his chest, pinning him down. Her small hand was clamped firmly over his mouth, her eyes deadly, daring him to make one more sound. Of course. She was a bat. He should've known she'd be crazy serious when it came to stealth.

All the same, though, Dick had heard it. "Scoot over, KF." he said, before managing to wedge himself between them.

Behind the couch was getting tight, now, as they all sat, shoulder to shoulder, jammed in. "Roy lost." Dick said, grinning.

"Yeah- it'll take him FOREVER to find us." Wally said, grinning. Dick nodded. But still, no one could foresee the future...

**TWENTY MINUTES LATER...**

"Your elbow's in my ribs!" Dick hissed, shoving KF away from him.

"Dude, your FACE is in my shoulder!" KF said, shoving him away.

"Yeah, well your foot is right under my butt!" Dick said.

They tried to get into a sissy fight, but there wasn't even enough room for their arms to extend in the sissy slaps, so really they were just flailing around while Scarlet was crammed in the corner...

"DUDE! SO NOT COOL! Wally said, flipping out.

"What? I didn't even do anything to you!" Dick said back, glaring at his friend.

"Yeah? Then who the heck just LICKED ME?" Wally asked, glaring at his friend.

Both of their heads snapped around when they heard the evil laughter coming from Scarlet.

"Dude! Your sister licked me! That's gross!" Wally said, looking disgusted.

"Scarlet- you have no idea where he's been!" Dick scolded.

Scarlet laughed harder while Wally simply stared, shocked...

Roy had been watching the exchange the whole time, but decided to make his presence known, then.

"Guys!" he yelled, making the most retarded face ever as he clomped over to them. "I found you!"

"Nice job, Roy." Scarlet said grudgingly.

"Wasn't all that hard, with KF screaming like a little girl." Dick muttered.

"Finally, we can get out of here!" Wally said, excited.

"No. The rules say I have to hide with you!" Roy grinned, climbing on top of the couch.

"What!?"

"Dude, no way!"

"There's not enough room!"

"There's always enough room for love." Roy said cheesily, before promptly falling on top of them all.

There was a series of grunts and groans, and they all looked up at the red archer jammed on top of them, forcing them to stoop over in the small space.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful." Dick said, glaring up at the archer.

"Dude, can you GET OFF?" Wally asked, looking annoyed.

"Um..." Roy looked over. His one leg was jammed between the couch and the wall, meaning only one thing- they were stuck.

"Dang you Roy!" Wally yelled. "

Don't blame me!" Roy retorted. "Who's idea was it to play this stupid game, anyways?" Everyone glared at Dick. Dick made a mental note- when they got out of this, he'd be sure to run.

* * *

 

"I cannot believe they spent TEN HOURS arguing!" Green Arrow threw his bow down on the table, frustrated.

They'd left he kids alone all day, it was around ten at night, and he wondered where they were...

"Agreed. That was exhausting." Flash sighed, running a hand through his hair, worn out.

"Where are the kids?" Superman asked, looking around, confused.

"And why is there a leg sticking out from behind the couch?" Oliver asked. His heart jumped to his throat when he realized it was ROY'S leg- had the little demon spawns killed him and stashed him there?

Superman walker briskly forward, pulling the couch forward to reveal... a heap of sleeping kids.

"Roy must've got his leg jammed in there, and they were stuck in there under him." Flash observed calmly.

"But that begs the question- what were they all doing crammed behind the couch?" Oliver asked, sounding perplexed.

Batman gave them all a smile, which was slightly creepy, since Batman didn't SMILE, per say, as give them a creepy look that meant he was happy... "Training exercise." he said simply, before dragging his two children from the pile and heading off towards his room.


	82. Kidnapped

Roy flopped down in front of the TV, tub of vanilla ice cream in hand as he turned on MTV. His biology teacher had flipped out on him today because the instructions were unclear and he'd screwed up, he'd almost crashed in drivers ed, and he'd forgotten a major essay on 'writing with insight' was due today.

All in all, a shitty day. Still, MTV and ice cream could fix anything- mostly. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips and turned up the volume as Shakira started singing She Wolf- god, that woman had a body.

He took his first spoonful of ice cream. Maybe today wasn't all bad.

The music was loud, and he was so absorbed in... ahem... grading... Shakira's 'dancing' he didn't notice when the window to his right opened a crack. Nor did he notice when the brown eyes stared at him with hatred through it.

On the contrary, actually, the only thing he noticed was the sharp pain in his arm a moment later.

The ice cream and spoon clattered to the ground and he grabbed his upper arm, shocked, as tendrils of white-hot pain shot out from... was that a dart?

He quickly pulled it out, shocked. Who the hell would hit him with a dart?

It was then he realized his vision had started blurring, he was feeling shaky, and he knew all too well he'd just been drugged.

The last thing he saw was a shape above him before he lost consciousness completely.

"Can't catch me!" Scarlet yelled, running out of the limo with her backpack slung over her shoulders, disappearing into the three car garage of Wayne Manor.

"Wanna bet?" Dick laughed, running in after his little sister. That was one bet she'd loose...

There were numerous boxes of car parts and craftsman wheeling tool chests at once section of the garage, blocking it from view, and Scarlet quickly ducked behind it, intent on hiding from her brother to start their afterschool training.

She stopped dead for a moment, though, almost running smack-dab into the man in wrinkled dress pants and a white shirt. She had no idea who he was, but before she could move he'd seized her, forcing a vile smelling cloth over her mouth and nose. It was all she could do to desperately flail, managing to knock a wrench off the work bench, before falling into the man's arms, unconscious.

The wrench hit the ground with a clang, and Dick perked up, noticing it.

He grinned. Scarlet wasn't usually this careless, but she'd done it noe. There was no way out of the dark area by the work bench except straight out- he had her cornered.

He lunged behind the corner, expecting to grab his sister and beat her at her own game., tickle her until she cried Uncle. Instead, he collided with someone who grabbed him, slamming a cloth over his mouth and nose. Chloroform. He gasped in shock before his knees buckled and he, too, laid on the ground, unconscious.

The man walked forward, opening the door to a silver mustang and carrying Scarlet over, sitting her in the back and buckling her in gently. He didn't want her to get hurt-yet. To anyone else, she'd look like she was asleep.

He dragged Dick over, next, before setting the boy down, placing a textbook in his lap. He'd look like he was reading.

He moved to the front and got in, then, sitting next to an unconscious Roy. The boy had earbuds in, though no music was playing- the scene just looked like a father driving his three children home from school.

Everything was coming together beautifully. He pulled out if the drive, then, after making sure the butler was out of the way- today was the day.

"Hey Roy." Oliver said, closing the door to the house behind him. In his hands he held three Burger King bags- he'd chosen to surprise his favorite meal tonight, since his son had texted him his day totally sucked.

"Roy?" he was surprised there was no answer. Normally Roy would be waiting for his surrogate father to get home. He heard the TV in the living room, though, and smiled. The kid probably hadn't heard him over the noise.

Well, he'd fix him. He jumped into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

He was silent a moment later, slightly baffled when Roy hadn't jumped up, surprised, by the sudden noise. In fact, Roy wasn't even in the room.

Now he was nervous. Where was the teen? Was he passed out into the bathroom, sick or something?

He jogged upstairs, feeling the sense of urgency that'd been creeping up on him increase tenfold when he found both his son's room and adjoined bathroom empty.

"Roy?" he trooped back downstairs. Where was the kid? He had a feeling, something deep within his gut, that something was WRONG. Really wrong. It was then he noticed the tub of ice cream, which had long ago melted, on the floor beside a spoon. On the couch cushion was a... dart?

His already hammering heart picked up speed and he snatched up the small, pointed weapon, seeing the dried crimson on the tip and KNOWING, as all fathers do, that something horrible had happened here. His worst fears had been realized.


	83. An Explanation, of Sorts

"Mmmhmmm..." Roy moaned, lead lolling to the side against the seat belt. He felt nauseous, heavy...

He felt himself being dragged,then, the seat belt had been taken off and someone was dragging him out of the car. His eyes flew open and he thrashed, or, rather, trued to, but only succeeded in squirming piteously as the man dragged him across the cement. It was dark, her, and cold...

"What t' hell are you doin'..." his tongue felt thick, really thick, and it was all he could do to get the words out.

Surprisingly strong arms picked him up, carrying him to a chair and setting him down. He relaxed into the cushions for a minute- there was no way he could make a break for it when he could barely speak. And then the leather strap was pulled tight around his midsection, so tight it was hard to breathe.

It pinned is arms to his sides, then, so he could do nothing to undo it as it was buckled. The chair was reclining, somewhat like a dentist's chair, and his flailing legs were forced onto it and strapped down, as well.

And then the duct-tape. It was wrapped around him, as well, just to be sure he couldn't escape.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, getting more coherent by the second. It was useless, now, the man bungee corded his hips down, as well.

He didn't get a good look at the man's face, seeing him return to the car. A moment later, he came back, carrying Dick in his arms.

"No..." Roy whispered. Dick remained completely unconscious as he, too, was bound to another chair. He could see the cushions, now, torn, decrepit, and moldy. This building was falling down around them, broken boards hanging, exposing the place to the open air. A winding staircase to the right, mold on the carpet, peeling pain, and was that dried... blood?

He started to feel slightly sick, then.

"Be careful with him!" Roy yelled, when the man pulled the leather belt on the bly a bit too tight. The man turned, glaring at him, and Roy sighed. "Please. Just, please... don't hurt him..."

The man's appearance shocked him most. Blonde hair, eyes rimmed red, from what he could only assume was crying and sleep loss, making them bloodshot. His hair was messy, but the rest of him looked- professional. He said nothing, turning back and finishing tying Dick down.

Roy watched him stand and head for the car looked pale, but he didn't look hurt, at least. "Dick. Hey, Dick, can you hear me?" he prompted.

Dick moaned. "Hang in there, kid..." Roy said, praying the drug, whatever it was, wouldn't hurt his brother.

It was then he saw the man turn from the car with Scarlet in his arms, bridal style. Her face was hidden by her long raven hair,which fell out of control, and her school uniform was ruffled. The man, to his horror, started to carry her away from him and Dick. And he lost it.

"Hey! HEY! Where the hell are you going!? Put her down! I said put her down! Let her go!" he strained against the bonds, screaming and thrashing long after they'd vanished into the darkness, a million horrible endings to this running through his mind.

His yelling must've helped revive Dick sooner, as he saw the boy looking around, wide-eyed.

"Dick! Dick, we have to get out of here! They took Scarlet!" he was nearing panic, now. He'd heard of sickos. They might've been kidnapped for ransom, but this sick bastard could be doing anything with Scarlet right now...

Dick swallowed. "Roy- we have a bigger problem."

"What the hell do you mean? They took Scarlet!" Roy yelled, horrified.

"I mean... we're in Arkham Asylum."

* * *

 

Bruce was pacing up and down the halls of the Gotham police department. He wished Batman could make an appearance, but if he did people would wonder why Batman had been on such a low-profile case and jepordize everyone's secret identities.

But he'd never forgive himself if they were found, dead, or worse...

Just then, Oliver Queen burst into the room.

"Bruce- someone took Roy." he got out.

Bruce stared for a moment. This was developing into something interesting, now. "All we can hope is that they're together. And that they're safe."

"This place is... holy shit." Roy looked around, shocked. Suddenly it all made sense. The chairs they were sitting in right now...

He shuddered. "How the hell is this Arkham Asylum?"

Dick looked equally rattled. "Before the new asylum was built in the nineties, this place was used. They didn't know a lot about mental health back then... Most of their 'treatments' were just torture that left the patient subdued at the end. God, I hate this place."

It was freezing, and Dick shivered.

"Do you have something to cut us out with? Anything?" Roy asked, desperate.

"No. It would look a little suspicious if I carried my utility belt around... We'll just have to wait, Bruce will come through. And Scarlet will be alright... maybe..."

* * *

 

Scarlet awoke in someone's arms and groaned. Her head felt like lead. And then the reality of what'd just happened hit her.

She gasped, sitting bolt upright. Someone had her clutched tightly to their chest, though, otherwise she'd have fallen onto the concrete floor. Strong, muscular arms, and she relaxed. this was Bruce. She was okay.

Until she saw the man's face. He was anyone but Bruce- blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he stared down at her with a concerned look on his face.

She screamed, thrashing and struggling for all she was worth, trying to break free of those arms, the arms of a stranger, that clutched her tightly.

"No-no-stop! Calm down!" the man ordered. She didn't though, just kept kicking and screaming and fighting, and he let her- until finally, she was panting, exhausted, in his lap.

"L-let me go." she said, shaking slightly, staring at him. "Please."

"Shh, sweetie. I'm not going to hurt you." his voice was surprisingly calm.

"Then why did you KIDNAP ME!? I wanna go home- I want my Dad!" and she started struggling again, though it was weaker, less forceful than before.

"Really. I won't hurt you." He ran a hand through her raven hair, trailing fingers across her forehead, in a soothing gesture Bruce often did when she'd wake up screaming from nightmares.

"I promise I won't." the man assured her. "Here." he held her tightly in one arm, pulling a photograph from his pocket. He handed it to her.

"That's my daughter, Teresa. She's about your age- and my wife." the man smiled, but there was some dangerous undertones lurking on his expression. She'd seen that look in the psychopaths of Gotham before.

She studied the picture for a moment. A woman with auburn hair and high cheekbones, obviously his wife, and a little strawberry blonde girl grinning...

And she had this feeling to dejavû, like she'd been to this place before... It still sent shivers uo her soine, she remembered it from nightmares, but she'd banished the name from her mind. Still, she'd know soon enough.

"There's a dress over there." the man pointed to a corner. She could see the sihoulette of a gown. "Put it on."

"What?"

"Do as I say." the man ordered.

She hesitated.

"Do it!" he ordered, suddenly vehement, and she walked over to the gown, uncertain.

"I'll leave so you can get into it, sweetie." he smiled, suddenly complacent again, and the heavy oak door swung shut behind him with a thud.

She took a breath, running her hand over the fabric. It was beautiful, with a poofy skirt and smooth, velvety white straps that went around the shoulders, with an aqua belt. It was so out of place here, with the decaying wood and moldy carpets. She unzipped the back, though, realizing, slightly shocked, that it was the dress a flower girl would wear. She didn't know why she'd been taken, but the man hadn't hurt her yet...

It'd be best if she went along with him now, until she knew where Dick was, and she pulled off her skirt and school blazer, stepping into the gown.

The man knocked on the door. "Are you dressed, sweetie?"

"I-I can't zip it up." she struggled to reach the zipper in the back of the dress.

The man stepped inside. "I'll get it, precious."

She couldn't help but shake, slightly afraid as the man knelt down and zipped up the back of the dress.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you." she whispered, not sure what else to say.

He took her hand, leading her down the hallway until she reached a large room.

It was then she saw the two torn up chairs, with Roy and Dick in them.

"Scarlet, are you alright?" Dick demanded, eyes wide.

"You sick bastard!" Roy saw her in the dress and assumed the worst instantly- that this man had just used her for his own sick pleasure. "I'll fucking kill you! You hear me!? I'll skin you alive!"

The man stepped forward easily and backhanded Roy. The ginger's head snapped to the side, and a red mark appeared.

"Finished yet?" the man asked, looking down, eyes dull and sadistic.

"Hell no! I will tear you apart!"

"Roy!" Scarlet took a step forward but the man held his arm in front of her. "He... he didn't hurt me... yet..."

Roy realized it and went limp, so relieved. "Thank god..."

"Why do you want us?" Dick asked suddenly, trying to get to the heart of the matter. He wanted all of them OUT of there.

The man said nothing, but instead fiddled with a digital camera for a moment before smiling murderously.

* * *

 

"Hello, Bruce."

"Something's broadcasting on every TV station in Gotham." Bruce said, staring.

"How is that even possible?" Oliver asked. He fell silent, horrified, when he saw what it was broadcasting. Roy and Dick, strapped down in torn, decrepit old chairs, and a blonde man with his arm around Scarlet's shoulder. she was, for some reason, in a dress.

"You're probably wondering who I am, and why I took your children. My name is Simon Mast. My wife died in a car crash two years ago. All I had left was my beautiful daughter, Teresa. I'm sure your out of the corporate loop, here, so let me inform you. You rich bastards probably forgot you made the deal- Queen Corp and Wayne tech partnered in pharmaceuticals. Teresa got sick. We couldn't afford treatment, and we were offered and experimental drug. My beautiful baby, my Teresa, she died. BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE YOUR DRUG! I watched my baby girl waste away!"

Simon screamed into the camera, hatred and rage burning in his bloodshot eyes as tears coursed down his cheeks.

"I lost my child. The only thing left I had to love in this world. See that dress she's wearing? See it, Queen, Wayne? Do you SEE IT!? It was the dress Teresa wore to a friend's wedding. She'll never have one, now- my Teresa. And neither will your daughter. I lost my daughter, Wayne- today you loose yours."

Bruce's knuckled were white, now, he was staring, shocked. Scarlet studied her feet from where she stood, but she was visibly trembling.

Simon pulled a gleaming pistol from within his suit coat. "The other two are just bonus." he cocked it.

"You've probably realized I'm at the old Arkham Asylum by now- and I want to make you suffer. You have three minutes before she dies- you'll try so hard, Wayne, but you'll never make it in time."

And with those last words, Simon raised the gun and shot the camera. The screen went to static.


	84. In Which Someone Dies

Scarlet stood, trembling, in the dress. This was it. The insanity beneath the man's surface had finally come to light. She watched in horror as he cocked the gun- she was going to die here.

The man smiled at Scarlet. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, sweetheart."

He seized her forearm, dragging her towards the staircase.

"No! Let her go! Scarlet, fight him! Fight!" Roy yelled, feeling abject terror run through him. It was clear Scarlet was scared and not sure what to do- but he was pretty sure she'd listen to him when she told her to fight. She had to.

She scrambled then, thrashing desperately.

"Stop it!" Simon yelled, irritated, as he struggled to keep her still. He managed to get her into a bear hug, arms pinned to her side. Scarlet, in an act of pure desperation, bit into his hand, clamping her teeth down as hard as she could.

Simon screamed, grip loosening, and she bit harder, tasting warm blood but continuing to bite. Possessed for a moment by pure animalistic instinct and fear, she shook her head from side to side, like a dog with a chew toy. The flesh ripped even more, but Simon backhanded her and she lost her grip, falling onto the moldy rug.

"You stupid bitch! Teresa would never do that!" he yelled.

The fighting had taken away precious minutes, and the sirens in the distance were growing louder.

Simon put her into a headlock and dragged up up onto the staircase, and they stumbled onto the roof in time to see police cars surrounding the place.

He put the gun to her head. "Nobody moves or she dies!" he screamed. "Where's Wayne!?"

"Scarlet!" Bruce stepped out of the police car, staring at his little girl. She looked absolutely terrified, afraid of this insane man, and afraid to fight him for fear of blowing the fact that she was Sparrow.

A sick grin spread across Simon's face. "Finally, Wayne, finally..." he was breathing raggedly.

Bruce could swear he saw Scarlet staring at hm, eyes pleading for him to tell her what to do, to give permission to lash out and risk exposing her identity, or, if he wanted her to, to die. He realized with horror, she wouldn't hesitate to listen to him either way. It was terrifying to know he had so much influence over the girl that she;d die if he asked her too- but he didn't have time to ponder the moral implications of her admiration and loyalty.

She had a few seconds, at most.

"Scarlet- FIGHT!" he screamed.

That was all the permission she needed, and she moved, trying her best to duck her head as she elbowed Simon in the stomach.

The gun went off inches from her head, Simon was forced back so he was standing sideways, and he fumbled to keep his headlock on her.

She swung her arm back wildly, fist colliding with his face, and blood erupted from his nose. He staggered back towards the edge of the building, loosing his hold on her completely, and she turned, stumbling downstairs, not really concerned at the moment with if Simon fell off the roof or not.

She raced past Roy and Dick, who were yelling advice about what to do, where to run. She didn't have time, she realized, when she heard Simon stumbling downstairs after her, and she darted into the hallway.

"Teresa!" the deranged man yelled. "Your blood for Teresa's!"

She raced into a darkened hallway lined with doors and sprinted down it, diving behind one and forcing it shut.

She stared. There was a single, barred window in the door to the room, and on the walls, among the peeling paint, was what appeared to be claw marks. She could imagine it now, and it made her shake even more, thinking of the poor, insane soul, raking their nails along the walls as they raved. And she could also see the bloodstains, and smell something awful.

Simon staggered into the hallway, then. She huddled in the very back corner of the darkened room, hearing his ragged breathing.

Officers had started to try and storm the building, now, and Simon stood, looking from cell door to cell door. She huddled in the back, peering through the rusted chicken wire window, afraid...

Simon started to laugh, then. It was a hollow, empty laugh, and Simon smiled.

"You win, Scarlet." he said. Footsteps were pounding, officers were yelling in the distance.

"But they won't take me."

He lifted the gun to his head. her eyes widened behind the bars.

"No!" she sprang from the cell just as the gun went off, and Simon's body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

* * *

 

A single shot rang out.

"No." Bruce breathed, staggering, almost falling to the pavement, horrified. Scarlet had never used a gun before. Neither had Dick, or Roy, that shot could only mean one thing...

"Storm the place! Now! Where's the SWAT Team!?" Gordan was yelling, and officers started to swarm the place.

Bruce ran in ahead of them all, fighting fate, hoping against hope...

"Scarlet!" he could hear her crying, he felt a rush of relief. She wasn't dead, but she could be shot fatally...

He ran down the hall, where officers were already standing, staring at the scene before them, not exactly sure what to do.

Bruce pushed past them all to find Scarlet sobbing, in the now bloody dress, with a dead Simon's head in her lap.

"Scarlet..."

"Daddy..." She sobbed, running a blood-covered hand through Simon's once blonde, now bloody hair.

"I tried to stop him, Dad, I swear..." and she broke down sobbing then, all out crying.

Bruce stepped forward, then, gently laying Simon down, picking her up and holding her against him as she buried her face in his chest and cried.

"It's alright, Scarlet. It's going to be alright." he looked down sadly at the body of the man, the insane man, who'd tried to kill her. If his children had been killed, he'd probably loose his mind, as well. But this man's, his daughter's death, had just been some freak thing...

And Scarlet had paid the price. She'd watched this man off himself, he knew, and she'd been traumatized by watching him die.

"It's going to be okay, Scarlet." he stroked the nine year old's hair as she sobbed into him. If only he could be sure it'd ever be alright again.


	85. Therapy with Wally

The rhythmic dripping of the faucet was the only sound to be heard throughout Wayne manor, despite the normally lively kids that occupied it. Roy sat on the piano bench, unconsciously rubbing the raw places on his wrists. The leather straps had dug in farther than he'd thought.

Dick was perched on the couch, studying the floor. Scarlet was curled up in the recliner, the one Bruce loved to frequent, in a fitful sleep.

Roy looked over at her remorsefully. Since they'd gotten back home in the wee hours of the morning, she hadn't gotten any solid sleep, just drifted between her nightmarish dreams, only to snap awake to an equally as nightmarish reality.

Bruce Wayne had to calm the swarms of press, as did Oliver Queen. Everyone wanted interviews, exclusives, hell, someone wanted to make a short film on what'd happened.

Police reports had come out, and people were fascinated that Scarlet had been able to act so quickly. They couldn't see the state all three 'courageous survivors' as they'd been called on the news, were in now.

They were broken. It was as simple as that. Broken.

He still remembered Scarlet running past the chair he'd been strapped to, fear evident in her eyes. He could've sworn he felt the lacey fabric of the dress brush his fingertips as she ran past, into the next room, could hear the footsteps of Simon pounding after her.

He'd prayed she'd hide.

There was silence for a moment, he remembered, one awful, heart-wrenching moment. And then the laughter, the deranged, hollow laughter that echoed around the place. He'd shuddered.

"You win, Scarlet." Simon had ground out. There was the noise of officers beginning to break down the doors, but Roy's eyes widened. He'd heard that tone, the way the man spoke, he'd seen it before. No- not in front of Scarlet- he couldn't...

The gunshot sounded.

And then the blood-curling scream of a terrified little girl.

"SCARLET!" he'd found new strength, then, thrashing and fighting his bonds like a wild animal, so fiercely that he'd tipped the chair over.

Tears had streamed down Dick's face, god, no, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be...

The scream died down to silence. That was even more terrifying than the screaming. He didn't know what was happening, who was shot, Scarlet was out of his sight...

Police officers pounded into the room, rushing to assist him.

"Forget about me! Get Scarlet! SCARLET!" he yelled her name again, the desperation of a terrified older brother overcoming him.

All he could hear were her terrified sobs. A moment later Bruce was carrying her out of the room, her sobbing into his chest, covered in blood. He just prayed it wasn't her own.

He jolted awake from his light doze, then, panting slightly. He's been dozing- they all had been- but it was always interrupted by the terrifying flashbacks... They hadn't slept in hours and were on the edges if exhaustion.

"No!" Scarlet screamed, body going rigid in the recliner. "No! Don't! Please!" her terrified shrieking startled both him and Dick, and they both jumped to their feet. A moment later she was thrashing and fighting like she was possessed, probably imagining trying to wrestle a gun away from someone...

"Scarlet! Wake up!" he yelled. She sat bolt upright, panting, tears and sweat trickling down her face. She threw herself at Roy, who caught her, pulling her into his lap and settling into the chair as she cried quietly.

"It's gonna be okay, kid. It'll be okay." he soothed.

He'd finally calmed her again, until only occasional whimpers escaped her. And then- the silence again.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red hair as someone burst into the room. Wally stood, chest heaving, leaning on the doorframe, looking horrified.

"Guys!?OhmygoshI'msosorryIjustheardIranrightoveriseveryoneokay?" he was unknowingly talking incredibly fast, anxiety getting the best of him. He noticed Scarlet said nothing, instead choosing to cling to Roy. He looked towards Dick, green eyes concerned.

"We're alright, Walls. As alright as we can be, anyways." Dick said, sounding exhausted.

Wally nodded, taking them in. They'd all changed into t-shirts and sweat pants, needing to relax, after the hospital had cleared them. Wally's eyes lingered on Scarlet, looking to Dick for an explanation as to what had happened to her.

"The kidnapper killed himself in front of her." he mumbled quietly.

Wally's fists clenched, then, and his nostrils flared dangerously. That sicko, that low-down, disgusting FREAK! Scarlet was nine years old! NINE! There was no way he'd ever forgive this man for traumatizing her like this. But he couldn't get revenge on a dead man- so he promised himself right then and there he'd do the next best thing- he'd lift their spirits.

"EVERYBODY UP!" he declared, clapping his hands and striding over to Roy. Scarlet head had shot up and she looked around, looking miserable...

"Wally, she's barely gotten any sleep..." Roy said, looking hesitant.

"She can sleep AFTER we make pudding, then." he said firmly.

"Wally, is this really the time..." Dick started.

"Upupupup!" Wally whirled, his outburst cutting Dick off. "No one questions until we make THE pudding."

Dick sighed, realizing it'd be easier to just go along with it. The younger ginger led his siblings into the kitchen of Wayne manor, starting to rifle through the cupboards.

"Now where do you guys keep the pudding mix?" he wondered aloud. "Aha! Found it!" he announced triumphantly, setting the box of powder on the table. He seemed to be the only one in the room with any kind of energy at all.

"Come on, guys. It's pudding! It might not help that much, but it has to at least distract you..."

"Wally, do we look like we're feeling up to pudding?" Roy demanded, looking at the ginger, annoyed. How did he not see that they weren't enjoying this?

"Shut up and get me some milk, Harper. The sooner we make pudding, the sooner you can go be miserable again."

Roy muttered some choice words, setting Scarlet down on the kitchen chair and heading for the fridge.

Wally started plugging in the blender.

He carefully measured some milk into it, adding the power and a little Ovaltine for good measure...

"It looks like diarrhea." Dick said calmly, scrutinizing it. The powder had clumped into wet mounds, now, with Ovaltine floating on top of the brown milk...

"That's because the genius forgot to stir it." Roy said sarcastically.

Wally narrowed his eyes. "Stir it, you say?"

"Yeah, stir it." Roy said, crossing his arms.

"BLENDER TIME!" Wally slammed the lid onto the blender and started it on high.

Then, to their astonishment, the chunky mixture began to whirl, mixing, thickening, until it was the consistency of toothpaste. Still, the blender continued struggle and fight to throw around the gelatinous mass, and they all smelled something burning as the pudding was thrown higher and higher into the blender, like an insane, brown cyclone...

And the lid exploded and pudding was flying, buzzing past them like angry hornets.

Roy staggered forward a moment later, yanking the plug from the wall, but the damage was done. He, his siblings, the ceiling, and the kitchen were covered in pudding...

Scarlet giggled. It was that tiny little cackle she'd used when she'd first met him, shy and controlled, but he saw a small spark of the fire that'd gone out in her dull eyes and smiled.

Dick had started to cackle, as well, and then they were all laughing manically at the pudding covered room.

They caught their breath, then, Scarlet licking the pudding from her hand, looking excited.

"You guys wanna play?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah- let's go." Wally sounded excited. They were engaged in it, now, actually wanted play...

Dick and Roy were soon having pillow wars, launching throw pillow nukes from massive couch cushion forts, when they heard the screaming.

"Hold on!" Wally yelled. Scarlet had crawled onto her brother's back, clinging to the ginger, who in turn clung to either side of the mattress they'd somehow freed from upstairs. With a massive flop, the mattress came to a stop and the siblings rolled off it, Scarlet giggling. (Rapunzel Corona- that was for you :))

"Guys- what if we pulled that mattress behind an ATV?" Dick asked. The idea was met with stunned silence.

Five minutes later, the three youngest were screaming, clinging to one another, while Roy whipped the ATV around a curve. Exhaustion had long since been forgotten, replaced by the drive to do something, ANYTHING, to erase those awful images from their mind.

"You guys okay!?" Roy yelled over the wind. He was pushing fifty miles an hour on the quad, though all rational fear had been vanquished by exhaustion...

"FASTER!" Scarlet yelled, and Roy obliged. The mattress bumped across the wet ground like a rock skipping on a pond, mud splashing with every hit, and Scarlet shrieked, excited. The only thing they cared about now was staying on the mattress.

Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen pulled into the driveway of the manor around seven at night. It was cold, winter, and the sun was setting. But they couldn't get up the driveway- in the beam of the headlights, there were four children, caked in mud, sleeping on a filthy mattress.

It was cold out- some snow had even started falling. Both anxious parents rushed out of the car, finding their children huddled together to ward off the cold- with Wally as well. They were all shivering, all pale, but they were... smiling.

Bruce looked at Scarlet and Dick- who had his sister's head tucked protectively beneath his chin. Both looked... calm. Happy, even. It was a major difference from ten hours ago, when Scarlet had refused to let go of him in the emergency room, screaming and clinging to him desperately, hysterical.

It was so different from hearing all three of the cry out and whimper whenever they'd nod off for only a few seconds, that for a moment, Bruce wondered if it was real.

"Holy crap. They must be freezing." Oliver had torn off his coat and was trying to wrap Roy in it.

"Yeah- but they're actually sleeping. They aren't crying, screaming, thrashing... How the heck did they get the nightmares to stop so fast?"

Just then there was a blur. Barry had arrived, looking flustered.

"Bruce, have you seen..." he stopped, mouth hanging agape when he saw the four curled up, covered in mud, on the ruined mattress.

"Oh my god. I am so, so sorry. Wally must've seen what happened on the news and ran here, I had no idea, we've been looking for him all day. I'll pay for whatever stuff he broke, just please, please don't kill me." He looked nervously at Bruce, gaze imploring.

Bruce smiled. "When he wakes up- well, you should know- before he came here, they were all still traumatized. Couldn't sleep without waking up screaming ten minutes later. He- I think he really helped them." Bruce looked down to the four sleeping children, as did Barry, intrigued.

"You really think so?"

"Yes, I do. Tell his folks that he's one heck of a friend- I don't know anyone who could've helped them more than he did today."

"Yeah, of course I'll tell them." Barry nodded, before bending down, carefully extracting Wally from the pile of sleeping children.

"I gotta go. Everyone's worried, and Iris will bite my head off if I don't call her the minute I got him. I gotta run."

Oliver nodded, and in another blur, Barry, with Wally still asleep in his arms, was gone.

Bruce smiled as the snowflakes continued to fall around them, gathering each if his peacefully sleeping children into his arms and setting them into the back of the car. Everything was going to be alright.


	86. His

Every Spring, he'd done it. Batman had a lot of… confidential documents that couldn't be seen by the public eye and had to be… disposed of. He used to just have Alfred burn them, but ever since he'd taken in Dick and Scarlet, they'd made an occasion of it. In the past, Wally and Roy had come over as well- they'd done it late, around nine or ten, so they could see the full magnificence of the bonfire as the flames stretched towards the sky.

Wally and Roy weren't here this time- given it was only two days ago that they'd been kidnapped, Bruce felt they'd understand. Dick ducked outside of the house, looking a bit antsy. Dusk was hurriedly fading to night.

"Is it almost ready?" he asked quietly. The look in the boy's eyes was far more serious than it'd been years prior.

Bruce straightened, nodding. "Almost. You don't have to come out if you don't want to…."

"I want to." Dick said seriously. "I can't… we can't just stop living, you know? That mean he wins, if we spend the rest of our lives scared…."

Bruce nodded, understanding. He placed a hand on Dick's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. I want you to know that, no matter what."

Dick gave him a wan smile, and then Scarlet ducked outside as well, looking at where the sun had finally set. "Are we going to burn it?" she asked. She too, looked for somber than usual, but considering what she'd been through, she was doing well.

Bruce simply nodded, striking a match. A moment later the pile had started to burn, and a few minutes later it was a large burning pile of flames, reaching a little taller than Bruce in height and throwing sparks into the darkness. They all watched it in silence.

Bruce nodded. "Scarlet…." There was a trash bag beside him, and he opened it, pulling out the dress she'd been in days earlier. He'd managed to get it released from the police department after discussing it with Gordon.

Scarlet looked at it warily before she took it from him. Dried crimson coated the white fabric, as well as her dried sweat, tears…. She took a breath and stepped closer to the fire, the orange light dancing off her skin as she put up a hand to shield her eyes from the heat. Another step closer, another… she was less than two feet away, and the heat was growing unbearable, but she stood anyways, staring into the flames. She was stronger than this. When she felt she'd achieved dominance over the fire, she moved, tossing the dress into the blaze and stepping back, watching each lacy sheaf of fabric catch fire and crumple, blackened, as it was demolished by the flames.

She leaned against Bruce, who put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. They were stronger than their fears- they were stronger than anyone he'd ever met, Bruce thought, as he looked over at his two children, who were watching the blaze serenely. They were stronger, had more courage than most adults he'd met. And, once again, he felt totally undeserving but blessed to be their father. They were his.


	87. Disturbing Information

The room was bloodied. There were bloody handprints on the sooty walls, along with the graffiti of satanic symbols and the characteristic cliché phrases painted by bored teens.

_Go to hell_

_No salvation_

_Turn back_

It was still eerie, even to him. He fought back the impulse to shudder, glad he'd received the news of Joker's recent breakout in time to exclude his children from patrol tonight. Whatever was in this warehouse- they didn't need to see it.

He turned the corner and entered the main room of the warehouse- the skylight had long since been shattered by the characteristic delinquents who used the abandoned buildings of Gotham as a playground, and the moonlight clearly shone through the glass-less windows, illuminating the horror before him.

Atop the pile of broken glass was the body- the source of the blood. Something within him broke, the father in him took over, and he was running, ignoring the stabbing pain in his knees as he knelt beside the child's body, not even aware of the broken glass in his legs- she was dead.

She couldn't have been more than five years old, but she was the spitting image of Scarlet. her raven hair was knotted and filthy, matted with dirt and crimson that was a result of her final struggle.

She was in a white dress- a basket of white rose petals scattered to her left, blood beneath her finger nails, hands folded strategically to try and cover the bloodstains from the stab wounds in her abdomen. He was nearly physically sick- only training held him back from vomiting right then and there. The girl had bled out- the bastard hadn't bothered to kill her. She'd been beaten- pale skin was marred by bruises, but he couldn't shake the fact from his mind- the girl had been _left_ to _bleed out._

How many hours had she spent on this pile of glass, scared, alone, in pain? She'd cried- he could see the tear tracks in the grime down her face. Jesus Christ, she was only a _child..._

The worst part, however, was her face. He might've been able to handle the normal face of the dead- glassy eyes half open, mouth quirked in an expression of fear. Her face was different, however. Someone had clearly closed her eyes- not out of respect, though. It'd been done in order to add to the fear factor of the scene- to let whoever stumbled upon this know the killer had stayed even after the girl had died- that he was probably still here.

He couldn't bring himself to care, however, as he reached out gingerly, running his knuckled over the dead girl's cheek. Her eyes had been closed, tear tracks leaving clean flesh in their wake surrounded by the grime. But the worst part was her mouth- the lips had been carved, mutilated- a gruesome smile etched into her flesh with a knife.

"Do you like it, Batsy? I did it _all by myself._ " the Joker's words echoed through the darkness, snaking through the air and reaching his ears.

"I wanted a flower girl. But she wasn't good enough. So she had to be... terminated."

"Of all the _demented_ things you've done..." his fists clenched, and his voice stopped, unable to form coherent words for a moment.

The joker stepped out of the shadows, laughing.

"No need to flatter me, Bats. I know- this has been my best work so far, hasn't it? You see- Harley wants a wedding. And no wedding is complete without a flower girl."

Batman moved to attack him, but was stopped as the Joker raised his hand.

"Sparrow."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare bring her into this..."

"She's already here, Bats. You see- I want nothing short of Sparrow in the flesh for my flower girl- no one else will do. Afterall, you've seen what has befallen our... trial run, haven't you?" he motioned to the dead girl before grinning, flashing his yellow teeth. "I know what you're going to do to me, Batman- you're going to beat me to a bloody pulp and send me back to Arkham, just like you always do. Same song, same dance we do every other week. But before you do- I want you to know that I will take your daughter. Maybe not today- maybe not tomorrow, either, but you won't be able to protect her- you will lose her when you least expect it, and she'll be my flower girl, bats- after all, she's my favorite..."

He stepped forward, arms outstretched like some sick re-enactment of Christ on the cross. "Go ahead. Hit me. You know that you want to. It won't matter, though- because one day, I'll take your little girl."

Batman didn't move. His mind was working furiously, playing over all possible options. But even it couldn't keep up with his pounding heart.

An earsplitting laugh echoed throughout the night and the Joker grinned manically at him. "See? You have no idea how to counter my plan. I've already won. The only way you can stop me is to kill me! And even if you do- I still win! You cross that line that makes you a hero, and Batman as we know it is gone. So, by all means, go ahead- take me back to Arkham! I've won!" his laughter echoed throughout the warehouse, and he looked surprised when Batman still didn't make a move forward to apprehend him.

"Oh- contemplating your next move?"

"You're wrong." he deadpanned.

The harlequin of hate cocked a green eyebrow at him. "Really? You can't protect her forever Bats- that's the beauty of it. I might not get her now, but there's always tomorrow- I will plague your nightmares, your worst fears- and eventually, I'm going to win. And even if you try and stop me, you still lose! So- you can either kill me now and loose yourself, or you can throw your daughter to the wolves, sentence her to a future with me..."

"You're _wrong!_ "

"Keep lying to yourself, Ba-"

He was cut off by a fist to the face, and went tumbling across the cement. He landed, laughing, on his back.

" _There's_ the Bats I know- arrogant, foolish, headstrong. Come on, hit me again- your daughter is damned, and so are you! So much for your little _family!_ " he spat the last word like a curse, howling with laughter all the while. Kevlar encased fists collided with the pale white face again and again, but even so, the laughter continued, waning with each punch, but never completely stopping until he'd beaten the man within an inch of his life and the laughter had, in reality, faded to choking, rattling wheezes as the bleeding man struggled for breath. The laughter hadn't been continuing- it had been echoing in his own mind.

He stood up, unnerved, before he hog-tied the villain, dumping him in the street where he was sure to be found by law enforcement before he faced any serious complications.

He stalked wordlessly back to the cave, beating the ever living shit out of a punching bag and cleaning the blood off his gloves before he ditched the cowl, changing into a t-shirt and shorts and heading upstairs towards his room, still deeply troubled by what the Joker had told him.

before he slipping into his room, however, he tip-toed down the hallway, quietly easing open the door to a bedroom- the full moon shone through the window, and by its silver light he could make out the sleeping form of his daughter- hair haphazardly splayed about her like a halo on the pillow, dressed in an old t-shirt and shorts, she'd kicked off the blankets and her small feet hung off the side of the bed from where she laid diagonally, arms above her on either side of her head.

His harsh, angry features softened to a gentle, fatherly expression the moment he laid eyes on her, and he quietly stepped into the room, looking down at her and trailing two knuckles down her cheek affectionately, satisfied she was sleeping peacefully when she didn't even stir at his touch.

He couldn't really explain it, but he could smell her- nothing particular about her, really, just a smell that he identified as _Scarlet_ \- some people would call that insane, but they weren't parents. They didn't know the connection they had, a bond so strong it was bulletproof. He had it with both children, he could've identified Dick by smell alone as well, but at the moment, he need to be by Scarlet- she was in immediate danger, she'd been threatened, and he needed to know she wasn't harmed in any way.

Satisfied she was safe, he quietly stooped and retrieved the blankets, pulling them over her and tucking them under her chin before planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight, Scarlet." he said quietly, a single thought crossing his mind as he looked down at his sleeping child. _I will NEVER let him hurt you- I PROMISE._


	88. Missing Big Brother

"Goodnight, Scarlet." Bruce gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he tucked the covers under her chin.

"Goodnight, Dad. Stay safe, 'kay?" she looked up at him anxiously.

Bruce nodded, meeting her eyes seriously. He'd convinced her and Dick that they weren't needed because Gotham's most dangerous were in jail- but actually, he'd received word that Two Face had broken out, and he didn't want his children anywhere NEAR the man. Not to mention he was still rattled about what the Joker ha told him regarding his daughter.

"I'll be careful, Scarlet, I promise." he reached over to brush a stray lock of hair from her faced. "Now get some rest, alright?"

She nodded, and he flicked off the lights, swinging the doors almost all the way shut, so a little light from the hallway could seep into the room.

"Goodnight, Dick."

" 'Night, Dad."

Bruce flicked the light off in his son's room, and Dick quietly set aside the book he'd been reading. At twelve, he didn't let Bruce tuck him in anymore, though Bruce knew he still liked his father saying goodnight to him.

He closed the door behind him- Dick didn't mind sleeping in total darkness, unlike Scarlet.

Five minutes later he was peeling out of the batcave, dissolving into the night.

* * *

 

Dick slid his window open, nodding to Scarlet. They were both clad in civilian clothes- Scarlet in jeans and a t-shirt, and Dick in sweatpants and a hoodie.

She wordlessly handed her older brother the bottle of baby powder, and Dick squeezed it out in the gap from the window. They both sighed in relief when the powder didn't reveal any infrared beams- there were no motion sensors here, only a simple alarm system that'd been all too easy to disarm.

Dick wordlessly squeezed out the window, hanging by his fingertips, dangling for a brief moment, before he dropped, landing in the flower bed in a crouch. They were only on the second story, and he nodded to Scarlet, who copied his maneuver, before they ducked behind them, before the reached the corner of the manor and stood, backs against the wall, hiding from the security camera on the other side.

Scarlet slid a small object into Dick's hand, and Dick calmly aimed it around the corner, using a small compact mirror to make sure he hit his target as the laser pointer came into direct contact with the security camera dome. It'd be disabled for at least five minutes, which was all they needed.

A moment later they were scaling the brick wall, choosing to forego the wrought iron front gate altogether due to excessive security around it. It was far easier for the two acrobats to climb the wall, Dick boosting Scarlet, who then let down a rope and stood on it, allowing him to fairly walk up the stone surface. A moment later they were dismounting the wall, rolling on the grass opposite the wall, outside the grounds of Wayne Manor. They headed towards a drainage ditch to the right, trotting alongside the road and being careful to keep out of sight, before they were swallowed up by the darkness.

* * *

 

"What took you so long?" Wally asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly as he met them at the Greyhound station.

"Our Dad is Batman- it took us a little while to sneak out." Dick explained, handing Wally his ticket.

"Right. Forgot about that." Wally said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking sheepish."You two didn't get caught, did you?"

"No. We're Batman's kids- we don't get caught." he smirked at the last part, and Wally smiled and nodded, before they headed to their gate before boarding their nearly deserted bus and departed.

* * *

 

It was nearly midnight, and he had finals next week. Roy looked over at the bottle of Red Bull beside him as he turned the page in his textbook. Oliver had taken him off patrol this week so he could study it, and while he'd much rather be on patrol, he secretly appreciated the opportunity to study, since he wasn't naturally studious like Dick.

He sighed, looking back at his notes and rubbing his sandy eyes.

There was a thud at his window, and he blinked, looking over surprised. The only person he could think of coming over at this hour was his friend Roger, from school, and Roger had been grounded last week...

He just about fell over when he saw Scarlet, Dick and Wally standing in the flower bed beneath his window.

Scarlet waved, looking up at him excitedly, and Dick smirked, arms crossed, while Wally simply fidgeted, though he was grinning, as well.

He was frozen in shock for a moment, before he was dashing down the stairs, throwing open the front door.

"GET IN HERE, NOW!" he bellowed, surprise quickly morphing to anger. How the hell had they gotten here, it was the middle of the night, did they have any idea how DANGEROUS it was to travel through Star at night?

He watched Wally recoil at his sharp tone slightly, Dick stepped back, and Scarlet chose to hide behind her older brother.

"Inside- now" he hissed out between grit teeth, and they all ducked inside the house, Roy closing the door behind them, pointing at the kitchen table.

"Sit."

Wordlessly, they sat down, looking significantly more nervous than they had a moment ago.

Roy took a breath before sitting down across from them, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Does anyone know you came here?"

Dick shook his head, and Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Did any one you bring a cell phone?"

They all avoided his eyes. "They could've tracked us if we brought them." Scarlet piped up, though she fidgeted slightly and didn't meet his eyes.

Roy avoided the urge to sigh again, before he turned to Wally. "How did you get here?"

"We took a greyhound bus..."

"To the depot in Star? That's like five miles from here... You walked here? In the middle of the night? Alone?" he looked at them, shocked they were still alive with the amount of creeps in Star.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!? You could've been kidnapped, you waited for a bus, alone, in GOTHAM! What would've happened if someone tried to mug you, or if someone grabbed Scarlet!? You didn't have your phone, if you couldn't have caught the guy, she'd have been DEAD! And in Star City, really!? You walked FIVE MILES alone in the middle of the night- three miles of it on a deserted road to get to the manor, where Oliver and I find more bodies dumped than you've ever seen..."

He'd jumped up in his agitated state to pace the room as he rattled it all off, and he looked up when he heard sniffling, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see Scarlet was crying quietly, while Wally did his best to stare at his feet and ignore the tears dribbling down his face and Dick scrubbed at his eyes, trying not to cry openly.

He stopped for a minute, anger at them dissolving for a minute when he saw they clearly hadn't meant to be this reckless.

"Um...guys?"

"You... you didn't have to be so... mad... at us." Dick choked out.

"Yes I did, Dick! You three could've DIED!"

"Well you didn't even a..." Wally jumped to his feet, knocking his chair aside in his haste, green watery eyes blazing...

"And what exactly could justify you three RISKING YOUR LIVES!"

"We wanted to come see you because we MISSED YOU!" Scarlet burst out, before he shrunk back into the chair and rested her head on the table.

For a brief moment, the entire mansion was dead silent, save for the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the next room as Roy absorbed what they'd said.

After a long pause he spoke. "You three...came all the way here... in the middle of the night...because you missed me?"

All three kids nodded tearfully, and he grabbed a chair and sat down for a moment, blown away. They'd come all the way here because they missed him?

And he'd just screamed at them for it. He sighed, his head banging against the dining room table as he sighed. He was touched and terrified that these kids ever naive enough to try and visit him.

"Guys... I don't know what to say. But you could've just called..." but now that he thought of it, they probably had been. He'd been doing double shifts with Ollie in the hero gig, as well as struggling to cram for finals- and he hadn't seen them in 3 weeks.

Suddenly he realized why they'd decided to come visit him- and that, regardless of how poorly-planned they'd been, this was partially his fault.

He sighed. "Alright, I'm not mad, exactly..." he looked up to see Scarlet sniffing, wiping her nose on her sleeve, and sighed. "Everyone follow me." was all he said, before he trooped upstairs, Scarlet grabbing his hand and trailing behind him with Dick and Wally on her heels.

He pulled them into his bedroom, pulling out a hoodie from his closet and tugging it over Scarlet's head, tossing a jacket to Dick and a sweater to Wally. "Put those on, will you?" he asked, careful to keep his tone mellow so as not to upset them again. "It's cold out."

He ducked into Oliver's room, snatching a pair of keys off the dresser- he didn't think twice about driving, since while he was only 15, he'd long since learned how to drive thanks to his 'extra-curricular activities'.

He herded Dick and Scarlet int the backseat, and Wally looked at him hesitantly from where he sat shotgun, arms crossed.

They sat in the disquieting silence for a moment as he pulled out of the garage, before he spoke.

"I'm not taking you guys home- yet."

The silence hung in the air clearly, like their unasked question as all three exchanged glances.

Five minutes later they pulled into a driveway, the neon sign lighting up the plaza.

"Pizza Planet!?" They burst out in union, lighting up.

Roy nodded. "Head on in." he pocketed the car keys and strode in after them, finding them pelting one another with balls from the ball pit. Wally and Dick were getting a little old for this, honestly, but the place was nearly deserted, and something about Scarlet brought out their playful side.

He ordered three pizzas and sat, smiling, as they dove an hid behind the ski-ball machines for strategic cover and ducked around inside the indoor playground. He realized with a pang that he really had been neglecting them. He hadn't seen them in weeks, he'd allowed being a teenager in school and being a hero with Ollie to take away one of the most important aspects of his life- his siblings.

All of a sudden, a ball pelted him in the back of the head, and he grinned when he turned to see Scarlet smiling at him. The nine year old had a look of pure excitement on her face as she squealed and started to run, and he didn't hesitate to sprint after her. After all, there was no time for fixing things like the present.

Later, as they sat in front of him, strings of cheesy hanging from their sauce-covered, grinning faces, he figured he was forgiven.

"So- you guys wanna order some more pizza?"

They all nodded, grinning, and he nodded to the waitress who brought another pizza over. He could see the admiration in their eyes, and he made two resolutions to himself then and there- that he would make sure their trust in him wasn't misplaced, and that he'd make sure to see them at least once every two weeks.

* * *

 

"What time does Bruce check on you?" Roy hissed. They'd ditched the car outside of Wayne Manor gates before scaling the walls, and Scarlet was asleep, slung over Roy's shoulder, as they headed towards the manor frantically.

"Four AM, every night. He usually peeks in on me first, then Scarlet..."

"Right." Roy panted, staring at the glowing lights of Wayne Manor in the distance, his gears turning as he tried to figure out how to get both kids upstairs within five minutes, undetected, and avoid the wrath of Daddybats.

"Back door." Was all Roy said, and Dick nodded- they scrambled upstairs, Dick doing his best to shoulder some of Scarlet's weight as they heard the grandfather clock downstairs slide closed. Bruce was home.

"Go-GO! I got her!" Roy hissed, swatting Dick away- the boy ducked into his room and dove under the covers, and Roy darted into Scarlet's room further down the hallway as he heard Bruce heading up the stairs.

He fairly threw the covers off her bed, wrestling the sleeping girl into a somewhat natural position. He heard the door of Dick's bedroom close and tossed the blankets over her, turning frantic when he realized there was no time to go for the window- he dove beneath the bed just as the door to her room swung open.

He heard the footfalls as Bruce entered the room, came face-to-face with a pair of steel-toed combat boots. He didn't dare even breathe, for fear of what would happen if he was discovered. The boots were still fo a long time, before Scarlet stirred on the bed above him...

"Daddy?"

"Go back to sleep, Scarlet."

"You're bleeding, Daddy." even half-asleep, the concern in her voice was tangible, and she feebly reached out to trace the wound on her father's cheek.

"It's just a scratch, Scarlet. I was careful- remember?"

She nodded solemnly as her eyes fluttered closed, and Bruce wordlessly stroked her hair until she was her features softened and her breathing slowed, and she was asleep.

Bruce leaned forward carefully, delicately sweeping a strand of raven hair away from her face before kissing her forehead.

The back of his knuckles ghosted over her cheek gently- "Sweet dreams, Scarlet."

Bruce turned and flowed silently out of the room, and Roy counted out a few dozen heartbeats before he scrambled out from beneath the bed, adrenalin wearing off into shock that he hadn't been discovered, as well as relief.

"Goodnight, Scarlet." he whispered, pecking the girl he thought of as a younger sister on the cheek. "I'll see you again soon- I promise." and with that he was climbing out of the window, disappearing into the darkness.


	89. Gone Wrong

The press was absolutely silent as they stared at the fallen hero on the pavement before them. Blood spattered the notorious costume and, face down on the asphalt, laid the legendary Batman.

A small yellow-clad figure clawed their way from the rubble behind them, staggering out of the wreckage, wounded shoulder clutched haphazardly by her other gloved hand.

She sprinted over as soon as she saw Batman, falling to her knees beside him. The police on the, even the few press members who had showed, were dead silent- not a single camera flashed, you could hear a pin drop in the icy silence...

She shook him. "Wake up!"

_Bodies hitting the floor, the horrified screams of the crowd, the way their ivory bones peered out of their limbs and there eyes were glassy, how no matter how hard she shook, how loud she screamed, they wouldn't get up..._

"Wake up! Batman, please!" her voice was growing more frantic as he didn't move. Tears carved paths of clean skin down her dirty face, looking down at him desperately.

Her hands fell uselessly to her side when she realized it- he wasn't going to get up. She sat there for a moment, shaking as she tried her best to hold back the sobs that tore at her throat...

"W-wake up. B-Batman- _daddy, please_ \- wake up. Or take me with you." she lifted his limp arm and crawled beneath it, desperate to be close to him, desperate for comfort-

It was at that moment gas exploded all around them, noxious green fumes taking to the air like fire. Screams of alarm erupted from the people around the scene, and it was all she could do in her numb state to look up, startled, before her eyes were on fire and her cheek was glued to the pavement. The last thing she saw was a pair of approaching shoes and bleached white skin, a hand reaching for her- before she was dead to the world.

_ONE HOUR EARLIER_

They'd been perched on the edge of Wayne Towers, like always. She crouched atop her gargoyle on Batman's left- Robin had wanted to patrol the South Side tonight, and since the boy was thirteen, and the South ide was a relatively low crime area. He also wanted to keep special watch on his daughter- they hadn't had any one-on-one time in awhile.

His nine year old looked up at him from where she'd been nibbling on a sandwich, eyes bright beneath her mask. He didn't know whether to be happy or alarmed that the girl loved the nights almost as much as he did.

The radio receiver was to their right, monitoring all the police scanners in the area. So far there hadn't been much- it looked like a quiet night.

"So- what's your favorite color?" she asked, cocking her head at him curiously as her gloved fingers tapped idly on the stone gargoyle.

Batman hid the smile that was beginning to tug at his features beneath the cowl- Batman didn't smile.

"Black." he grunted.

"Second favorite color?" she asked, not at all put off by his answer.

"Gray."

"Third?"

"Focus." Batman reprimanded.

Sparrow sighed, vaulting off her gargoyle, a hundred feet above the pavement, and landing perfectly on the next one.

There was silence from the nine year old for one moment, two... Batman thought she'd devoted her entire attention to scanning the streets below, and was about to do the same, when-

"What's your favorite number?"

Batman pinched the bridge of his nose beneath the cowl. His kids were incredibly amusing, but he couldn't let it distract him...

All of a sudden there was a crackling on the radio, followed by several snatches of a voice. Instantly sparrow was on her feet, staring at him attentively...

"It's nothing big- a gas leak. The fire department can handle it." he turned back to watching the streets.

His daughter didn't take her eyes off him. He ignored her for one second, two... "What if there are people in there? What if they get hurt?"

He was bored, too. And the kid had a pretty good point. He ignored the smile tugging at his lips again, nodding to her as he fired off his grappling gun. "Let's go, then."

The building was in the poorer districts of town- it was an abandoned hotel, with windows broken and paint peeling.

"It's been condemned for years. No one lives here..." except the homeless, who decided to take shelter from the elements inside. They were people, their lives had meaning, as well...

"I can check the upper floors real fast." his daughter chirped, as though reading his thoughts. Batman nodded. "Quickly. Use your re-breather- if you start feeling sick, bail."

She nodded, before she was darting upstairs. The smell of gas assaulted him as soon as he stepped into the room- he searched the lobby carefully, looking for anyone sleeping behind old desks or furniture.

He couldn't find anyone- he wondered briefly if his daughter was having any luck upstairs when something caught his eye. Amid the torn up couch cushions and broken glass, something metal, a wire...

His eyes widened when he realized what it was. A delayed ignition device, this had been a trap, the whole thing had been a trap-

He pulled out his comm, heart pounding frantically in his chest.

"Sparrow- get out of here, now-" he was cut short was the very air around him ignited, the force of the explosion blowing him through the glass doors of the building and onto the sidewalk, and he was dead to the world.


	90. Losing Control and Kitchen Knives

Batman came to on the pavement- his chest was on fire, he was covered in dust and soot-

All around him, splayed on the pavement, were unconscious police officers. He staggered for a moment- something was wrong. He knew he was injured, but it didn't matter. The hotel they'd been investigating laid in rubble at his feet...

"Sparrow!" he called out hoarsely. His heart droppe when silence was his only answer.

His head was spinning, but slowly, it came back to him. The delayed ignition device, the whole building had been set to blow...

And his daughter was missing. He was about to begin digging frantically through the rubble when a figure staggered over to him, a strong hand grabbing his armored shoulder. He nearly attacked the person, before he saw it was none other than Commissioner Gordon himself.

"B-Batman..." the man wheezed out, looking pale. "I-it was Joker..."

"Were we hit with Joker Gas?" he asked, his heart speeding up. He had antidotes in his belt, but not nearly enough to help all the officers here.

"No... Kn-knock out gas. He didn't want us dead... He wanted something..."

"He took Sparrow." Batman ground out, gloved fist clenching as his blood pressure skyrocketed. The Joker- a homicidal maniac who'd swore he'd break him- had his nine-year-old daughter.

Commissioner Gordon's face fell.

"I have to go." Batman didn't even bother to disappear like usual- not that he even could, considering his present condition.

"Are you kidding? In your state, he'd shoot you on sight!" Gordon looked horrified, and he realized he must look about as bad as he felt. "Hell, I thought you were dead less than ten minutes ago! Even Sparrow thought you were gone..."

"I'm finding my daughter, Jim!" he shouted, his voice sounding close to a roar. "I will get her back. I'll do whatever it takes."

Jim said nothing- he'd heard the change in Batman's voice, and he realize he couldn't stop the man. He ran a hand through his greying hair, looking anxious and haggard. "Alright. Just- be careful, alright? You're a symbol of hope for this city."

Batman said nothing, turning to disappear into an alley.

"And Batman!" Gordon called, causing the dark knight to turn impatiently and look at him.

"If he hurts that little girl- you give him hell, you hear me?"

Batman smiled slightly at the way Gordon's tone changed to a low growl- that was exactly what he was planning to do- before he turned, cape snapping behind him as he allowed the night to swallow him up.

* * *

 

She awoke in someone's arms and groaned- she felt as though she'd had a building dropped on her- probably because that was precisely what'd happened. Still, right now she was just working on opening her eyes- not remembering everything she'd been through.

She waited for her hazy focus to clear, to find a demented white face with a smile carved into the lips staring at her, filthy teeth barred into a smile, yellow eyes looking down at her anxiously.

She screamed and flailed, falling to the ground. Colors of pain exploded before her eyes- she'd hit the hard floor and jarred some injury inside, and she instinctively curled in on herself, trying to ignore the blood she could taste in her mouth...

As soon as she was back to herself enough to hear, she heard his gravelly voice. "Oh darling- I didn't mean to scare you." she felt long fingernails press against her back as she was gathered into his arms- she simply closed her eyes, not wanting to see his frighteningly disfigured face but helpless to move- she didn't know why, but everything ached...

"I want my Dad." she whispered hoarsely, before she realized the mistake of what she said. Still- she was so out of it, she couldn't really bring herself to care.

"What was that?" the Joker leaned closer to her, trying to listen as he walked. Every footstep was jarring and hurt her worse, but she forced herself to control her breathing through the pain. "I want Batman."

She was laid gently on the cool cement floor, and she looked up to see he was frowning down at her, fingers twitching irately.

A moment later his shoe had hit her between the ribs, and she was left curled in the fetal position on the floor, tears leaking from her eyes and blood dribbling down her chin.

"I'm really sorry about this, darling. Truly, I am. But Batman won't come unless he thinks he needs to. He doesn't care about anything but keeping his reputation alive."

She wanted to tell him he was lying, but she couldn't get a good breath- her chest throbbed painfully as she wheezed, and the Joker stared down at her prone form, as though disappointed she couldn't speak back. "I'll be back soon, Darling. Maybe you'll forgive me."

* * *

 

He struggled up the stairs of the abandoned factory, trying to ignore the burning in his ribs. This was where he'd first met the Joker all those years ago, before he'd become well-versed in crime fighting, before he'd met his children- back when all he'd wanted was justice and revenge.

He forced the thoughts from his mind, though, stumbling on the metal catwalk and trying to ignore the empty vats all around them. He'd find his daughter, and she'd be alright- but he couldn't stop the nagging voice in his head, the chilling promise that echoed in his mind...

_"I will take your daughter. Maybe not today- maybe not tomorrow, either, but you won't be able to protect her- you will lose her when you least expect it..."_

"Sparrow!" he called out over the sound of the wind whistling through the broken windows, his voice bounding off the metal walls, rousing the dust on old cases of goods left to rot, bounding through the cobwebs and echoing through the open pipes, into the very vats themselves.

His only answer was laughter, and the Joker himself came to the railing of a catwalk two floors up, leaning on the metal pipe railing like he was Juliet in the balcony scene, demented smile crossing his features.

"I _knew_ you'd come!" he sang out triumphantly, before he ducked out of view. A moment later he'd returned to the railing, holding Scarlet, an ivory handled kitchen knife pressed to her throat while he held her up by raven hair.

"How much pain is she worth to you, bats?" the madman demanded, idly trailing the blade down her cheek. He nose was bleeding, the blood had dried all over her face- but what alarmed him the most was how she wasn't even standing by herself, how she seemed so far gone that she didn't even look afraid, or aware of what was happening...

"Let her go." he growled. He could taste blood, he was on the verge of collapsing- but his daughter needed him.

The Joker frowned, a cold look coming across his demented features. "If you say so, Bats." a moment later his daughter was being thrown over the railing towards the floor- he dove and caught her. Everything within his body screamed in protest at the deft movement, but he didn't care.

His nine-year old cried out when she landed roughly in his arms, before she shuddered and was still, looking dazed and half-dead.

Her face and hair was caked with dried blood, she was breathing shallowly, and her arm was bent at an awkward angle- it was probably broken. She seemed to be on the edges of shock.

Batman did his best to set her down gently, leaning her against the railing.

"Get out of here. Run, if you can, but crawl if you have to. No matter what you hear going on here- keep going. You understand me?"

Her eyes were glassy, but for a moment fear dawned on her face. She could tell what was going to happen here- they were going to fight, and Batman was going to kill the Joker.

"I'm waiting, Bats." the Joker didn't amused. Batman was in no shape to fight after the explosion, but if he didn't stop the man, he'd come for Scarlet. He knew there was only one way this conflict could end- and he'd be the one walking out alive, with his daughter in his arms.

He forced himself up the stairs, trying to get a good breath and ignoring the way his chest fizzled and cracked as he breathed.

"So this is how you want it- using children as pawns-"

"You did that, Batsy, when you put her in the costume. I just hurt her." and the clown prince of crime lunged, slashing wildly. Batman barely dodged the haphazard strike, and even then, the attacks came faster, stronger- he could hardly compete- his forearms bled from multiple cuts he'd had to block with his hands. He was struggling, failing- he changed a glance at the catwalk below them to see it empty.

The thought of Sparrow crawling through a dingy alley, desperate for help, gave him an adrenalin rush. He caught the Joker's knife-wielding hand, slamming the man backwards into the railing where the catwalk turned 90 degrees. He kicked out at the man's knee, and with a crack he went down. From there, his hands were wrapped around the bastard's throat, all his remaining strength and rage directed onto his hated foe as he wrung his neck, choking the life from him...

He didn't stop when the harlequin of hate started spitting blood, or when the man's yellow eyes rolled back in his head- some sort of primal rage had fused with his hatred, the only thing he needed was for the Joker to die by his hands...

A small body slammed into him, shoving him back off the man. For a moment he was stunned, before he stumbled to his feet, ready to crush all opposition to ending the man's life, only to come face to face with... Sparrow.

His daughter stumbled to her feet, shaking like a leaf. Her body was still between him and the joker, but tears streamed down her face, and she looked close to hysterical.

"Y-you were gonna kill him, Daddy!" she choked out, voice barely above a whisper.

"Sparrow- step back. This is the only way..."

"We don't kill people!" she shrieked, looking horrified. She stepped back, shocked that even after she'd knocked him out of his stupor, he still wanted to go back and kill the man...

"Sparrow! Move..." he growled, about to shove her aside. But when he stepped towards her she recoiled, flinching like she was afraid.

He looked down to realize the glove he was reaching out towards her with was covered in blood that wasn't his. When had that happened?

He could see the fear in her eyes, then, the way she held herself, the way she looked afraid- afraid of him, her own father, for the first time in her life. It made him pause and think for a split second about what he was going to do-

Before he could take her arm and leave, however, she let out a strangled cry- he saw the flash of metal protruding through her stomach, watched his child crumple to the floor in a heap, and heard demented laughter from the joker as he stood, bloody knife in hand...

He went on autopilot then, kicking the bloody knife from the man's hand, hefting him up and throwing him over the railing, letting go. He didn't even comprehend that the man was going to fall two stories- didn't hear the sickening thud of the man's body hitting the ground. Instead, he was curled up beside his daughter, frantically gathering her into his arms.

There wad blood- so much blood. It dripped through the metal grate floor of the catwalk, staining the floor below, and he wrapped her in his cape as she stared at him, eyes glassing over quickly, too quickly.

She whimpered- he jostled her as he sprinted as fast as his mangled body would allow him outside, slamming the button on his wrist to call the batmobile.

She was bleeding out in his arms, whimpering, clawing at his chest frantically, as though being closer to him could somehow save her.

" _Shh...shh. I-I'm right here, Scarlet, Daddy's here..."_ he soothed her absently as he drove home, the car never slowing down to under 90 mph as he struggled to keep his voice from cracking. If she knew how bad it was, she'd give up- he expected her to slip away on the drive back, to simply stop breathing in his arms as he drove like a maniac.

She slipped in and out of consciousness, laying heartbreakingly still, but she held on.

No sooner had he stopped the Batmobile in the cave then he was bounding out, holding his bloodied cape and barely keeping his knees from buckling beneath him.

"Alfred!" the tone of his voice must've been desperate, because the butler fairly sprinted over, looking horrified at his charges- Bruce himself on the verge of collapse, Scarlet lying half-dead in his arms...

"Alfred- _Leslie_ \- call Leslie. She's dying."


	91. Aftermath

He could barely stand, but he couldn't sit still. His daughter was lying across the room on a metal table- Leslie had her back to him, gloves on up to her elbow, as she worked meticulously on hs daughter, the steady beep of the monitors the only thing keeping hope alive. Alfred was helping her- he'd been shooed away, left to stand by himself and pray she was alright...

His eyes fell on the bloodied cape he'd wrapped her in- absolutely soaked in crimson. Even though he wished with every fiber in his being that she was alright- he knew the odds were against them. He couldn't forget the look on her face as she fell- eyes widening as she felt the pain, the way her lips parted, a shaky gasp escaping, before she was on the floor at his feet, bleeding...

He wanted to bury his head in his hands, but they were covered in blood, as well.

He hadn't protected her. She was absolutely his everything, and now he was going to lose her since he'd been so careless.

A motor roared into the cave, and a moment later the R-cycle pulled in. Dick pulled off his helmet as he dismounted, pulling down the kick-stand, looking confused...

He saw the blood on Bruce's gloves, then, looked over to see the bloodied cape and Leslie, who was only partially blocking the view onto the table...

Bruce would never forget the look of sheer terror the boy gave him. So much pain, fear, in that one look- he was asking his father, no, he was begging- for her to be alright. But he couldn't promise him that, couldn't promise him anything... He was useless.

The grey that'd been creeping into the corners of his vision intensified as his aching legs finally gave out.

He watched Dick's expression go from terror to horror, but his head was filled with cotton and he was choking on his sandpaper tongue, so he couldn't reply when his son's gloved hands frantically shook him. Before he could work up the sense to say something, he was out.

* * *

 

His chest was on fire, and his back ached terribly. All in all- he felt like one giant bruise.

He could hear monitors, but for a moment he was confused. His visioned fuzzed out and he blinked once- twice- before he came face to face with Leslie.

The doctor's worried face softened slightly when she saw he was awake, taking on an almost motherly expression- it showed the wrinkles and laugh lines, the way the skin around her eyes crinkled with relief- a testament she'd had to keep this sleepless vigil far more than she deserved.

"I don't know how you're still alive." she deadpanned, grey eyes boring into him. "Four broken ribs- one punctured your lung. It started filling with blood- your pulse oxygen was so low I thought you were gone. Not to mention the abrasions..."

He winced, struggling to get his breath as his cognitive function dripped back to him. He remembered, now, the gas leak, the explosion... Scarlet.

"Scarlet!" he choked out breathlessly, jolting forward. Colors of pain flashed before his eyes and he whited out for a moment- the next thing he heard, once his senses came back to him, was Lesle yelling for him to stay down as she forced his shoulders back onto the bed.

He panted, drenched in a cold sweat, still in pain, before he turned his head to the side, looking over at te bed nearby desperately. "Scarlet..." he rasped.

"She's alive, Bruce- that's about all I can say." Leslie brushed his sweaty locks from his face, looking upset. An expression of anger swept over her features like a wildfire- "What the hell happened to that girl, Bruce?"

"Joker."

Leslie paled considerably, but Bruce didn't care at the moment. "She- is she alright?"

"She lost a lot of blood, she was in shock. It took 4 pints to stabilize her- the knife- I'm assuming it was a knife, anyways- nicked her liver, but it'll heal. She's got some badly bruised ribs, and a badly broken arm. She's running a fever but I can't say I'm surprised after all the trauma she went through. She's going to be in a world of hell when she wakes up, Bruce. What possessed you to take her with you?"

"I-it was a trap." was all he rasped out, before he was slowly working himself up onto his elbows.

"Bruce-"

"I need... see her... please...let me see her."

Leslie bit her lip, hesitating for a breif moment before realizing he'd crawl across the room is he had to. She nodded, allowing him to sling an arm over her shoulder and helping him over until he was beside her bed.

Her skin was so pale- even her lip were a dull shade of coral. He couldn't see the badages beneath the sheet she was covered in, but the bruising on her face and all the monitors she was hooked up to told him all he needed to know. She'd nearly died.

He collapsed into a chair beside her bed, his own hand dwarfing hers as he took it.

"She's not going to survive another fight like this, Bruce- it's a miracle she made it through this. And she's going to hurt- she's got a lot of healing to do."

Bruce nodded, his head pounding. "She won't. She won't go through this again, I won't risk her- she's officially out of the hero business. She's just Scarlet, now- Sparrow is dead."

* * *

 

The first thing she registered was that every square inch of her skin was freezing- except for her left hand. And that everything was slow and methodical. And her head felt... odd. Like it was filled with cotton. She focused intently for a moment- it took so much effort, but eventually she'd turned her head to look over and see her father beside her bed.

She tried to say his name, but no sound came out. Her tongue felt thick and rubbery, and she sat there, frustrated...

She shifted slightly on the bed and her father shot up from where he'd dozed off, staring down at her in disbelief. "Scarlet?"

More sensation was coming back to her, now, she was slowly regaining the ability to move. She felt absolutely awful. What'd happened to her? She was so cold...

"Bruce..." she went to sit up- she wanted to reach out to him, wanted him to pull hr into his lap and hold her like he did when she was little and sick- but before she could even get halfway to sitting, a wave of red-hot agony tore through her middle.

She didn't even realize she'd been screaming until she couldn't breathe. Bruce had pushed her back down onto the bed, and that'd hurt even more, like someone had filled her insides with molten hot maggots and they'd started to eat her insides...

Eventually it dulled from unbearable agony to excruciating, before she was laying on the bed panting, aching dully, still feeling incredibly ill, wondering what'd just happened to her.

"Dad?"

"Don't move. Do you remember anything?"

She shook her head, eyes filling with tears. "No- I-it hurts, Dad, and I don't feel good..." she was starting to cry, now, but even that movement hurt her ribs, and she gingerly curled into the fetal position onto the bed. Bruce reached out to touch her but paused, uncertain. He'd only hurt her more right now, she was only nine, too young and confused to understand why she was in so much pain...

"Make it stop, Daddy..." she got out between her tears, sobbing quietly.

His heart- what was left of it, anyways- broke right then and there. All he could do was mutter soothing words and stroke her hair- she cried herself into exhaustion before falling into a fitful sleep. Bruce sighed, looking down at her. He didn't know whether to hate himself for letting this happen, or thank god she was still alive.

She wouldn't go through this again. He swore it. Even if it meant she had to hang up the costume for good, he'd rather have her alive as a civilian than a dead hero.

"You'll be alright, Scarlet. I- I'm sorry it hurts- it was my fault- but you'll be alright. I promise..."


	92. No Right Answer

Within three days, they'd begun to wean her off the painkillers. She could sit up, with some difficulty, and she'd eat the meals Alfred brought her.

It became harder for Bruce to look at her, though- every time he saw how pale she was, how frail she looked- he was reminded of his failure as a father.

By the time she could gingerly walk around was when he elected to tell her.

"Scarlet- Sparrow is finished."

"I figured that, yeah. At least until I'm healed, I'd just slow you down..."

Bruce winced, realizing she didn't understand. "No. Sparrow is finished for good."

Her eyes widened slightly, blue eyes alarmed as she realized what he was saying. "I... you're kidding, right, Dad?" she laughed nervously. "I mean, I'll be fine- I just need some time to heal, then I can go back to helping you..."

"No. Sparrow is finished."

"Would you just listen to me for two seconds, Dad!?" her voice rose as her temper boiled higher.

"There is nothing you could possibly say to change my mind." Bruce ground out, expression unwavering.

When she saw the dead-serious expression on his face and realized he wouldn't budge on the matter, her expression crumbled. "You can't do this to me! Sparrow is my life, you can't just take it away!"

"You don't know what you're saying. You're nine years old, Scarlet, and I realize I made a mistake in letting you join me..."

"The only mistake you're making is taking it away from me! What did I do wrong!?" she demanded, tears running down her face.

"This isn't about what you did or didn't do, Scarlet- it's about my duty to you as a father-"

"No it's not! You're just afraid that I'll get killed in the field! I knew I might die when I signed up for this- I knew, Dad! You can't just take it away from me now, just because you're scared of what might happen!"

The conviction behind his voice shocked him, and he fought the urge to step back. Here he was, standing before his nine-year old daughter who'd nearly died in his arms a mere few days ago, as she professed her willingness to die for his cause. The seriousness in her voice stung- she couldn't be serious, she didn't know what she was saying- she was nine, for god's sake- and it only confirmed the fact that she'd grown up far too fast due to the activities he'd allowed her to take part in.

"I'm doing this because it's what's best for you, Scarlet."

"No, you're doing it because you're scared! I hate you!" she turned, tears still streaking down her face. She stumbled and nearly fell, and he reached out to catch her only to be shoved away roughly as she leaned heavily against the wall, glaring heatedly at him before stumbling up the stone steps, into the manor. He heard the door slam behind her, before he was left alone in the silence.

Footsteps echoed across the stone floor, then, as Alfred strode past him, duster in hand, and set to work cleaning the computer console. "that appears to have gone well, Sir." Alfred remarked sarcastically.

Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was hoping she'd take it a bit better..."

"You are destroying an integral part of her identity, Master Bruce. I highly doubt she could 'take it better' than she already has."

"Well what do you want me to do, Alfred?" Bruce snapped. "Patch her up and let her heal and let her go back to running the streets with me, with all those psychopaths? She almost died in my arms, Alfred- I'd rather have her frustrated and alive than a martyr."

"Indeed, Sir. But your decision will have many repercussions..."

"You think I don't know that?" Bruce snapped. "If there was any other way to do this, I would... What do I do, Alfred?" Bruce looked over at him, desperate for the man who'd raised him to impart some sort of wisdom on him to make the situation easier.

"Sometimes, Master Bruce- there are no good answers to the dilemmas life throws at us." Alfred said simply. It was all the old man could say on the subject, and, having finished pretending to clean the computer and offering all the advice he could, he turned on heel, leaving Bruce standing alone in the empty cave, wondering about his next move.


	93. Running

It was three days before she could get up and move without restriction, and at 3am she was silently moving around in her room, ready. If she made any sudden movements or did anything too strenuous, she'd feel her stitches pull- but otherwise, she was alive and restless. She needed to go.

She'd run away once before- back when she was five and upset because her birthday had been forgotten, she;d missed her parents and hadn't seemed to fit in this family. Young and naive on the streets- she'd been captured by the Joker due to dumb luck and nearly killed. Funny, how, civilian or hero, the Joker was always her common denominator.

She wouldn't make the same mistakes. This time, she wouldn't make any mistakes at all.

She'd emptied out her school books from her backpack, instead filling it with clothes. Nothing especially nice, nothing that would mark her as 'wealthy' and make her a target for thieves- mostly jeans and t-shirts, as well as a hoodie for warmth.

She'd received a rather an allowance for the past few weeks, and she wordlessly tucked the wad of cash she'd saved in her shoe, keeping a small wallet with a few dollars in it to give to muggers as a diversion.

At one point she found herself sitting in the closet, wondering what she was doing. She was leaving everything- Bruce, Batman- the home she'd had since she was five. She had no idea where she was going. She couldn't go stay with Wally or Roy- they'd just return her here. As soon as she left this place- she'd be all alone.

Her breath came in quick pants, then, as the fear washed over her in waves. Nobody would have her back anymore- if she got hurt or lost or scared or ran out of money- she'd be on her own. That was a lot for anyone to face, let alone a nine-year old, and hot tears ran down her cheeks as she sat in the darkness.

It would be so much easier to unpack all her things, crawl back in bed, and just stay. But she couldn't- she'd made up her mind. Being out there, alone- was better than living a life without being a hero. Besides- if things got bad enough, she could always come home. Bruce would always take her back, wouldn't he?

The flicker of doubt in her mind- the thought that he wouldn't welcome her home, that he'd cast her out, forget her name like she was dead- scared her even more. But there was no time to be scared, anymore- she had to run while she still could.

She'd wanted to leave a note. She really had. She'd written it out in her mind a thousand times, too- laced with apologizes, with fond memories woven in and gentle words tucked in here and there to let Bruce down gently- to make him realize it wasn't his fault. But in the end, she hadn't written it at all- because that would be a clue, and Bruce was sure to come after her. And this time, she wasn't making any mistakes.

She was hit by a rush of cold air as soon as she opened her window. It blew back her hair, dried the sticky tears on her face- it called to her, begged for her to come chasing after it- free air, where she could make her own life, chose her own destiny. But at the same time, she couldn't help but mourn what she'd be leaving behind.

She tossed down her back-pack first, before gingerly climbing onto the tree just outside her window, slowly making her way down. Even with all the care she took, she still felt her stitches tug painfully now and then.

She made it down, somehow, to the dew-soaked grass. Nice years old, in black converse shoes, jeans, and a red hoodie to cover the cast on her arm and bandages on her stitches, she stared up at the night sky, ready to take on the world.

It was cold but welcoming, and she slung her backpack over her shoulder, running as fast as she could without aggravating her wounds further. She tore across the grass like a bat out of hell, before she reached the stone wall surrounding the manor. Now for the tricky part. She tossed her bag over, pulling the rope and make-shift anchor from her pocket. It was only fifteen feet tall, but it was an arduous climb, her stitched wounds burning and aching body throbbing- she made it over, though, that was what mattered.

By the time she fell onto the grass on the other side, some clouds had revealed the moon. The glow stunned her for a moment, and she realized- with equal parts terror and excitement- that she could be anything, here, outside these walls. A hero or a street rat- it didn't matter, here. no one could tell her what to do. She grinned, slinging her pack over her shoulder again before she'd disappeared down the road- off into a place where she could be anything.


	94. New Sky

"Let go of me!" the small figure flailed beneath the back gauntlet, glaring up at the dark knight with eyes full of rage.

"Stop flailing- you'll tear your stitches." was Batman's only reply, and he struggled not to keep his voice husky.

Scarlet had been missing for two days- for two days, she'd been running the streets without him to protect her. He'd searched frantically under the cover of night, not finding a single trace of her, and facing a terrorist crisis, having to call in the Justice League for aid, only to find she was already there and fighting a loosing battle. Th Justice league had been able to level the opponents, and she'd tried to flee to the shadows, but Bruce had been too quick.

He pulled down her hood, revealing a small, masked face with a scratch running just below her eye, marring her right cheek, weeping a few drops of blood. His gloved hand kept a firm hold on her left arm, despite her struggling.

"I said- _let go!"_ She wrenched herself forward, struggling to get free from his grasp.

The Justice League watched the struggle bewildered. They knew enough to recognize Sparrow, but they didn;t know why she was out of costume, or why she was fighting her own father...

"It's been two days, dammit! You're coming home!" he snapped, voice taking on more emotion. Did she have any idea how worried he'd been, how much he'd looked for her?

"That's not home!"

Her words hit Bruce like a slap across the face, but he didn't let it show. "I don't care. I'm your father, and you will _listen_ to me..."

"Bruce..." Superman was eying the whole situation critically, uneasy. "What's going on?"

"It's none of your concern, Clark..."

"Don't let him take me, Clark! He's gonna lock me in the house again and he won't let me out!" Scarlet continued to struggle, trying to get out of his iron grip, reaching desperately towards Clark- the words broke Bruce's heart. Would she really rather be with anyone but him?

"You're injured and you've been running the streets for the past two days! I'm taking you home!"

"Uncle Clark, _please!"_ tears ran down her face, and she made a desperate bid for freedom, summoning all her desperation and lunging, trying to get free from her fater's hold... only to cry out in pain and sink nearly to the ground.

"Hold still! You tore your stitches- would you stop fighting me for two seconds!?" Bruce demanded, as she kicked out wildly at him, even from where she'd landed on the pavement.

"S-screw you..." she choked out, laying still on the pavement as tears streaked down her cheeks. Bruce said nothing to explain himself, simply scooping her up and disappearing into the night.

* * *

She woke up to the familiar scent of sterile in her room, with white sheets. The bandages on her chest were fresh, her face had been wiped clean of all tears. Bruce was sitting beside her bed in civilian clothes, leaning forward, hands steepled, head down, staring at the floor.

He heard her shift in the bed and looked over at her, brown eyes serious.

"How're you feeling?"

She kept her head down, not making eye contact or saying a word. Suddenly her hands, rested on the sheets, were suddenly captivating.

Bruce sighed, standing. "I know you're not happy here."

She looked up, baby blue eyes anxious. Was he saying he'd let her be Sparrow again?

"You leave in two weeks. You've been accepted by a prestigious boarding school in London..." Bruce chanced a glance over at her, surprised to see she'd started crying.

"Scarlet- you'll love it there. You need a change of scenery-"

"I don't need a change of scenery! I need you to accept me for who I am!"

Bruce fell silent, hearing the pain in her voice but not budging.

She'd nearly died in his arms, run the streets without him for two days, and tried to escape him so badly she'd re-injured herself. The only safe option here was sending her away.

"You leave in two weeks."

* * *

She stared straight ahead, standing rigid, body showing no emotion, though she had a white-knuckle grip of the handle of her luggage.

"I love you, Scarlet. You know that, right?" Bruce asked, looking at her sadly. He'd thought his children had always known how much he'd loved them, but things between him and Scarlet had been rough- he wanted her to at least know before she left. Though he was holding fast, knowing sending her away would keep her safe- it was killing him inside to have her acting so coldly towards him.

Scarlet pursed her lips slightly, gaze darting over to her father once before she was staring straight ahead, working to keep her expression schooled.

"I love you, Dad. But I hate the way you treat me. I'm your daughter- not a doll. Don't try to cage me."

_"Flight 607 to London now boarding. Can we have all our priority members begin boarding."_

She strode stiffly across the airport towards the gate, stepping into the jet bridge. She stared down at her feet for a brief moment, as though debating something, before she strode forward onto the plane. She didn't look back.

Bruce stared after her desperately- concerned but hopeful. Maybe- just maybe- boarding school would be the exact change she needed.

* * *

She stood on the rooftop, staring up at the sky desperately. Her hair whipped around her face in the wind as she stared at the dark blotted sky, begging for stars. Even within Gotham's smog filled streets, covered in garbage, one could make out the stars from the broken streetlights.

Here- with such a massive amount of city lights, the only thing she could see was the grey outline of the night sky.

The wind whipped her raven hair around her face as she stood in a mixture of kevlar and leather body armor she'd picked up from the local motor cycle shop.

There was a scream from below her as a young woman was grabbed, and she didn't hesitate, eyes narrowing beneath her mask as she attacked.

This was a whole new city- but she was still under the same night sky.

**Author's Note:**

> BOOM! Yes, I'm sorry it's short, the begining will no doubt be a bit choppy, but i hope you liked it. Love you guys, and please review!


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